Boeing Chose Ambition Over Simplicity in American SST Competition

The American SST program was launched in June 1963 to develop a supersonic airliner capable of carrying 250 passengers at Mach 2.7-3.0 over 4,000 miles.

The program was led by the FAA and involved Boeing, Lockheed, and North American. North American dropped out early, leaving two competitors: the Boeing 2707 and Lockheed L-2000.

The L-2000 was designed to be simpler and less risky than the Boeing 2707, but it was also slightly slower off the runway and at high speeds, and likely noisier. The deciding factor for the FAA's choice of the Boeing 2707 was ambition: the government wanted an aircraft that would not only match Concorde but outclass it.