Why did Boeing’s 2707, a jet designed to be bigger and faster than Concorde, never take off? What went wrong? Could we have been flying at supersonic speeds today if this project had succeeded?

Furthermore, Boeing aimed to more than double the jet's capacity for passengers compared to its competitor. While the Concorde could hold up to 128 passengers, the 2707 would have held around 300.

Boeing's 2707 was only slightly more modest – Mach 2.7, 270 passengers, but a range of 6700 kilometres. In the head-to-head design competition the Boeing carried the day.