Lapcat A2 Concept

LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies) is a 36 month European FP6 project to examine ways to produce engines for a Mach 4-8 Hypersonic aircraft. The project is funded by the EUROPA general R&D fund rather than ESA.

One possible supersonic transport aircraft being researched as part of this project is the A2 by Reaction Engines Limited. The researchers are looking at an aircraft capable of flying from Brussels (Belgium) to Sydney (Australia) in 2-4 hours, significantly reducing journey times across the globe.

To attain and maintain such high speeds, Reaction Engines Limited would need to develop its newly designed concept engine called the Scimitar, which exploits the thermodynamic properties of liquid hydrogen. The engine is theoretically capable of powering the A2 to a sustained Mach 5 throughout flight with an effective exhaust velocity of 40,900 m/s (4170 s).

"Results so far show [the Mach 5 vehicle from Reaction Engines] can avoid later [technology] pitfalls and could travel from Brussels to Sydney," says ESA's LAPCAT project coordinator Johan Steelant.

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[pedrolog]

they must develop it! would be great to get to australia in less than 5 hours!

[Wormtail81]

Somewhere an environmentalist is having a heart attack.

[PIECE2YOURMOTHA]

Pretty ugly though.

[timothyeah]

@Wormtail81 That'd be me.

[Gex9z]

LOL you gotta love the intended cruising altitude of this thing: 100 000 feet (the normal cruising altitude of current airliners is 35 000 feet) ... you'd be able to see how the Earth is round by its curve on the horizon at that height =P. It's almost at the top of the stratosphere, btw. And if this develops fast enough, it should be available in about 2025.

[SlayerGod999]

they say it will be around in the 2030s

[G777GUN]

@Armigo91

You must also take into account acceleration and deceleration. This aircraft on takeoff would still need a large runway for takeoff. The space shuttle or the X-15 are good examples.

Or my Zero X:

/watch?v=wligUSqgBEY

The air is very thin up there . Not much room for error.

[Armigo91]

Really, there are no more serious dangers about hypersonic flight in contradiction to supersonic. Things only get slightly warmer trough friction,

As long as the Lockheed and rolls royce soldering mechanics drive the screws fastened well enough theirs as much worry for concern in contradiction to supersonic flights.

Really I see no possible reason why to downgrade anything.

Better let the guys make this plane and fast already, I wanna fly.

[Armigo91]

thrust. So basially that means by downgrading the mach 5 concept to mach 2.5 would bring more consequences with it then the actual mach 5 design. The plane would still work on hydrogen anyway. So it would still need the same amount of fuel for the same durable flights.

Just twice as slower for no economic benefit at all.

[Armigo91]

@G777GUN

downgrading to mach 2.5 or mach 3 for instance would firstly be a odd choice. Theres a specific leap to the engine itself that causes its potential for mach 5 over other kerosine turbofans. The design cannot be downgraded to mach 2.5 for instance and it they would it wouldnt affect the plane itself by size etc. You would just have twice smaller turbines.

And as im thinking about it a twice as long takeoff time. It would probably make it hard to ascend altitude with that kinda