New Superjet Could Fly You From London To Sydney In TWO Hours
A hypersonic jet that could fly passengers from London to Sydney in just two hours is one step closer to reality following a successful test flight.
A jet capable of such a feat, which would usually take more than 20 hours, could revolutionise global air travel.
In a successful test carried out by U.S. and Australian military scientists the jet reached incredible speeds of Mach 7.5 speeds of 9,200kph (5,715mph).
For a jet to be classed as ‘hypersonic’ it must reach at least five times the speed of sound, Mach 5.
This is much faster than the hypersonic Concorde which was able to complete transatlantic flights in around 3.5 hours.
The test flight for the new jet was completed at at a testing range in Woomera, South Australia, where the aircraft was attached to a rocket booster and launched to an altitude of 278km.
Ten test runs are planned in total - the first too place back in 2009, while the final test is scheduled for 2018.
So far most hypersonic flights have been unmanned and have been only minutes long, so even if the new jet completes its 10th test flight in 2018, it may still be some time before passenger flights are a possibility.
The aircraft could also be used as an alternative to rockets for ending satellites into space.
There are several companies currently working on hypersonic jets including the Concorde 2 (pictured) which is being developed by Airbus.
Image credit: Airbus
