ZEHST the world's first hypersonic plane unveiled
 

THE world's first hypersonic passenger jet has been unveiled, promising flights from London to Sydney in just three-and-a-half-hours. Hailed as the new Concord, rocket engines currently used in missiles will propel the plane to speeds of 5029km/h - more than four times the speed of sound, the Daily Mail reports.

But passengers are going to have to wait 40 years for the first commercial flight, say developers EADS.
Dubbed ZEHST - which stands for Zero Emission Hypersonic Transportation – the jet will be propelled by a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, meaning its only emission would be water.
It can carrying up to 100 passengers and will use conventional jet engines to launch the aircraft from the airport runway. Once airborne, a pair of rocket engines will be engaged, followed by a final set of engines known as ramjets.
“It is not a Concorde but it looks like a Concorde, showing that aerodynamics of the 1960s were already very smart,” Jean Botti, innovation and technology director at EADS, told the Daily Mail. “We’ve been working on this project for long enough now to know it is viable.”

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Have to wait 40 years? Never mind then.

I don't see why they bothered to go public if we have to wait another four decades before we can shell out the big bucks to ride the stupid thing. :88)

Agreed.

It'll take 40 yrs to save for the price of a ticket. :haha:

Like a bat out of hell etc......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q3H2UQYLzM

And at Mach 4 good luck intercepting it. :doh:

If only we had the lasers and rail guns to shoot it down, great work congress! :damn:

FUNDING. They would like some funds.

It appears that only the rocket motors would be zero emission. The turbo jets and the scram jets will use more conventional fuel won't they?

How could something like this be commercially profitable? It does not look like it could carry too many passengers.

Cool technology and I can see the military/government using it. But for commercial air travel? I don't know.

in 40 years travel security will be to the point that one would have to wear one of those hospital gowns on the plane. anything more would be a security:doh: hazard