inessential musings

Flying at more than twice the speed of Concorde and five times the speed of sound, this hypersonic airliner is set to be the future of modern air travel. Looking like a supersonic passenger plane from Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds, the revolutionary aircraft with a top speed of 3,400mph aims to fly between London (or Brussels) and Sydney in under five hours. Billed as the “Son of Concorde”, the commercial plane is designed to carry 300 passengers and will reach speeds of Mach 5 – five times the speed of sound.

The ground-breaking aircraft - known as the A2 – is the work of British engineers at Reaction Engines Limited in Oxfordshire. At 433ft long (132m), the A2 is half the length of the Titanic and weighs 400 tons, lighter than a Boeing 747. Yet despite its length, the aircraft will be able to land on current international airport runways. In addition, its hi-tech liquid hydrogen-powered engines will produce few carbon emissions, making air travel much greener.

Is there a downside? Well, apparently there will be no windows, so everyone will have to jocky for aisle seats. More…

Update on Feb 13, 2008 at 05:17PM by

Doug

Cousin Mike thought my readers might enjoy listening to the conversations between Kennedy Ground Control and Speedbird2 immediately prior to the last New York-London flight of the Concorde on October 24, 2003, as it prepared for its final departure and subsequent retirement from flight service. Unless you’re familiar these communications, it may sound a little confusing. “Speedbird2 Heavy” (the Concorde) is coordinating taxi and takeoff instructions with “Ground [Control]” (the tower) during which the air traffic controllers offer appreciation and farewells to Concorde, and the flight crew responds. It’s a memorable moment in aviation history.

To listen, click here. (Requires Quicktime)