A2 Hypersonic Jet Plane

Hypersonic jet could reach Australia in under five hours Tue Feb 5, 7:05 AM ET - AFP




British engineers unveiled plans Tuesday for a hypersonic jet which could fly from Europe to Australia in less than five hours.

The A2 plane, designed by engineering company Reaction Engines based in Oxfordshire, southern England, could carry 300 passengers at a top speed of almost 4,000 mph (6,400 kmh), five times the speed of sound.

The LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies) project, backed by the European Space Agency, could see the plane operating within 25 years, the firm's boss Alan Bond told the Guardian daily.

"The A2 is designed to leave Brussels international airport, fly quietly and subsonically out into the north Atlantic at mach 0.9 before reaching mach 5 across the North Pole and heading over the Pacific to Australia," he said.

The plane, which at 143 metres (469 feet) long would be about twice the size of the biggest current jets, could fly non-stop for up to 12,500 miles (20,000 km).

It operates on liquid hydrogen, which is more ecologically friendly as it gives off water and nitrous oxide instead of carbon emissions.

Passengers would have to put up with having no windows, due to problems with heat produced at high speeds. Instead designers may put flat screen televisions where the windows would be, giving the impression of seeing outside.

Fares would be comparable with current first class tickets on standard flights, of around 3,500 pounds (4,700 euros, 6,900 dollars).

The flight time from Brussels to Australia would be four hours and 40 minutes. "It sounds incredible by today's standards but I don't see why future generations can't make day trips to Australasia," he said.

"Our work shows that it is possible technically; now it's up to the world to decide if it wants it."

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• A2
• Hypersonic
• Jet
• Plane
• wow
• aurora
• project
• fast
• hamtig

[hearts76100]

Fucking americans getting jealous.........AGAIN!!!

[viewson800]

Go Britain, capture the glory again and try to keep your sh*t secret!

[ksionc100]

I wonder how long runway this thing needs. After all, it's a biger than Airbus A380 which can land on quite few airports.

[BRBSHUTUPNOOB]

guess what, my dirt plane can drive to russia to japan in 19 years, cool huh?

[mikesavago]

25 years? Fuck it, I'll just drive there.

[Triplewave4]

@Warpath2198 yeah but they aren't commercial... too bad! I can't wait 25 years

[Warpath2198]

The U.S. already has Hypersonic aircraft not officially released to the press

[scientificpeople02]

A variant of this plane is also being developed as a type of space shuttle! Its called the skylon and it should take off and fly like an ordinary plane but be able to achieve LEO by having a hybrid engine (Jet/Rocket)!

[MrTimothytim]

yea they would also build a space shutle 3 times more efficiant and way bigger than the americans thing is the americans get it made and you rarely ps not american myself

[hen555]

Hey guys I got questions:

How come it must fly in the ozone layer? Doesn't the engine need oxygen for complete combustion of the liquid hydrogen? And the higher you go in alt. the less oxygen right?

Also, what kind of engines are they using? Turbines still?

Thanks!

[nudepanda101]

all i can say is air crash investigations are going to be back in buissness.

[SEGANextGen2012]

@ACfireandiceDC

It probably won't, but Aerion are developing a supersonic business jet which will enter service in 2014/15, and Boeing are also planning a supersonic jet. Supersonic travel is the future