Space Transportation’s Yunxing aircraft aims to reach a speed of Mach 4 (4,939 km/h), promising to carry passengers between Beijing and New York within two hours.
Beijing-based Space Transportation Company announced the successful testing of a commercial aircraft prototype that can travel at nearly twice the speed of the world’s first supersonic airliner, Concorde. Interesting Engineering reported on October 29. According to the company, the Yunxing aircraft can fly at a speed of Mach 4 (4,939 km/h). Space Transportation is planning to continue testing the vehicle’s engine next month. They also plan to prepare a full-size supersonic jet for its first flight in 2027.
Concorde broke all supersonic passenger records when it debuted. Designed and built by Sud Aviation, which later became part of France’s Aerospatiale (today Airbus) and the British Aircraft Corporation, it is one of the masterpieces of aviation technology. Concorde was the first turbojet-powered supersonic aircraft to provide passenger service across the Atlantic Ocean at twice the speed of sound. Using Rolls-Royce Olympus engines, the plane can reach a maximum speed of 2,140 km/h.
Space Transportation Company now aims to break this record by introducing a commercial aircraft model that can fly at Mach 4, which can complete the journey between Beijing and New York in about two hours. The new aircraft prototype designed by Space Transportation also has many other interesting features, including the ability to take off and land vertically and fly at an altitude of about 20,000 m.
Space Transportation designs and manufactures space transportation systems to reduce the cost of space exploration. The company was founded in 2018 by Yudong Wang. Space Transportation has extensive research and development experience in the field of supersonic aircraft and missiles.
The company tested the Yunxing hypersonic aircraft against several parameters including aerodynamics, thermal protection and control systems. Space Transportation says the all-composite structure withstood extreme conditions during the test flight. In addition, the company also had the opportunity to test the prototype’s flight control system, avionics system and structural durability. With many more tests planned in the future, Space Transportation may soon reach its goal of making commercial passenger flight at speeds of Mach 4 a reality