China working on hypersonic jet that flies from BJ to NY in 2hrs

Chinese researchers are working on yet another futuristic plan for getting travelers from New York to Beijing as fast as scientifically possible.

The team from the Key Laboratory of High Temperature Gas Dynamics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing have unveiled designs for a “hypersonic plane,” which would travel at five times the speed of sound, cutting a 14-hour flight between the two cities — which are some 11,000 km apart — to a mere two hours.

The South China Morning Post gives some details about this futuristic vehicle, dubbed the “I-plane,” based on a paper published this month in the Chinese academic journal Key Laboratory of High Temperature Gas Dynamics, describing the concept as a biplane design in which two sets of wings are stacked on top of one another.

Biplanes have been out of fashion since the 1930s with the advent of jet aircraft, but researchers say that the dual-wing design actually helps to boost lift capacity at high speeds while reducing turbulence and drag.

Because of its design, the I-plane will be able to lift a significantly heavier payload than other hypersonic vehicles that are currently under development, researchers claim. However, it will still only be able to carry about one-fourth the weight of regular aircraft, SCMP reports, meaning that one the size of a Boeing 737 could carry only five tonnes of cargo or around 50 passengers.

Already, the team has reportedly tested out a scaled-down version of the I-plane, stating that it performed well at seven times the speed of sound — or around 8,600 km/h.

While this all may seem extremely impressive, it’s worth noting that New York to Beijing in two hours is practically a slog compared to a travel option proposed last year by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — rockets which could take passengers from New York to Shanghai in 39 minutes flat by going into orbit.

https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=f1333wvkna7&width=500&height=375&auto=0

[Images via Science China Press]

TRENDING

EVENTS