A2 goes Mach 5

One hopes that one day soon I will fly in the new "Son of Concord" concept from Reaction Engines Limited in Oxfordshire in the UK. Liquid hydrogen powered engines will allow up to 300 passengers to reach speeds of Mach 5 or for the laymen that is 3,4000 MPH!

That is around 7 times faster than the speed of today’s jets.

This is no typo and I am sure right now, Terry Matthews is looking to upgrade his corporate jet.

To reach Mach 3 the plane initially generates thrust through engines similar to those used in conventional jet aircraft.

But beyond Mach 3, a specialist unit pre-cools the super-heated air generated by flying at high speeds before it enters the turbines, preventing the engines from melting.

Previously, engineers have failed to design a system capable of operating at such extreme temperatures.

If built, the cost of a ticket on the A2 – which will cruise at an altitude of 100,000ft (30,480m) – from Europe to Australia is estimated to be around £2,000 or just under $4,000.

Because it is fueled by liquid hydrogen, the aircraft only produces water vapor and nitrous oxide as exhaust and has a negligible carbon footprint.

Despite its length, the aircraft will also be able to land on current international airport runways.

Mr Bond, managing director of Reaction Engines Ltd, said that from a standing start and with the requisite political will, the plane could be flying commercially within 15 years.

My question is… How can we speed development of this thing up. I would really like to fly this plane on business and not in retirement.

Well, at least my kids will get to enjoy faster and better air travel. As for me… I am happy these days to find a flight that will give me some pretzels or a pillow.

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  • Guttan
    February 9, 2008 at 5:31 am

    The whole world will be following this project and future on http://www.a2airplane.com will be the place where information will be updated continously!

  • Odysseas
    March 11, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    What’s the problem with energy of hydrogene.
    I am a student and I like very much the airplanes, this is the reason that I ask you to explaine me the problemewith energy of hydrogene

  • Imran Qadir
    September 25, 2009 at 12:03 pm

    It is very good that a airplane A2 has invented in this way the long travel of thousands miles will complete in few hours, I pray for more advancement of the technology that one day will be come that airplane will fly at the speed of 1 hundred thousand miles per hour.

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