CHINA is vying to take on the ‘Son of Concorde’ with an even faster supersonic jet that could blast from London to New York City in less than two hours. Beijing-based Space Transportation, also known as Lingkong Tianxing Technology, has been carrying out test flights and recently reached a speed of 3,106 mph, which is four times the speed of sound.
The company has developed an alternative engine, called the Jindouyun engine, or JinDou400, which could enable travel twice as fast as the iconic Concorde. In the latest test, it was able to reach altitudes over 65,600 feet, and achieved this by doing away with compressors and turbine parts found in most rocket engines, relying on detonation combustion technology instead.
The company is racing to develop the kit for a Yunxing passenger aircraft that could take off as soon as 2027. The aircraft is also designed for vertical take-off and landing. The development comes as a rival jet in the US, dubbed the “Son of Concorde”, makes progress, having recently completed its ninth test flight.
The Concorde, which was the supersonic passenger jet considered the ultimate luxury in air travel, was retired after 27 years of service and 50,000 flights. Several reasons led to the decision to retire Concorde, including low passenger numbers, high maintenance costs, and the 9/11 terrorist attack, which majorly impacted passenger numbers.
