China Tests Supersonic Passenger Jet Prototype At Twice The Speed Of Concorde

By successfully testing a prototype for a supersonic passenger jet that might travel twice as fast as the Concorde, China has made a major aviation advancement. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the Yunxing prototype, which was created by Beijing-based Space Transportation, also called Lingkong Tianxing Technology, reached Mach 4, or roughly 3,069 miles per hour. With reports that the plane might go from Beijing to New York in two hours, this ground-breaking test demonstrated the possibility of quick transcontinental flight.

The first commercial supersonic jet, the Concorde, made its debut in the 1970s and reached Mach 2, or around 1,330 miles per hour. It established an unmatched benchmark for quick and effective transatlantic travel. To put China at the forefront of high-speed aviation technology, the Yunxing jet seeks to double this record. Extreme aerodynamic and thermal stress, which is essential for high-speed flight, was tolerated by the Yunxing prototype thanks to Space Transportation’s creative use of all-composite materials.

Apart from its remarkable velocity, the Yunxing jet has the ability to take off and land vertically and can reach altitudes of approximately 65,600 feet. This adaptability, along with improvements in control systems, thermal protection, and aerodynamics, establishes the prototype as a state-of-the-art wonder of supersonic travel.

Space Transportation was established by Yudong Wang in 2018 with the goal of lowering the expenses associated with space exploration by utilizing cutting-edge hypersonic and space transport systems. The company’s Tianxing I rocket successfully completed the Yao-10 launch mission in 2022, demonstrating its proficiency in structural design and strength testing.

Space Transportation hopes to fly a full-scale supersonic passenger plane by 2027, and the recent Yunxing test is a positive step in that direction. If successful, this might usher in a new era of Mach 4-speed commercial airplanes and transform long-distance travel.