A new supersonic jet could take passengers from London to New York in less than two hours.
Space Transportation, a company based in Beijing, is developing the aircraft to rival Nasa’s ‘Son of Concorde’.
So far tests have shown the jet reaching 3,045mph – four times the speed of sound, South China Morning Post reports.
The company said: ‘This engine has significant commercial potential in the field of high-speed flight within near-space environments.’
This is a key milestone in developing the Yunxing supersonic civilian jet, which will fly people from London to New York in less than two hours.
They aim to have the aircraft ready for its first flight by 2027.
The jet was named the ‘somersault cloud’ used in the classic Chinese novel ‘Journey to the West’.
It has completed its first test flight in northwestern China.
Space Transportation said: ‘This test flight provided key performance data on the engine, validating critical systems including the fuel supply, electrical and control systems.
‘It also confirmed the engine’s stability and reliability, marking a major milestone in its development from a prototype to a fully functional product.’
The aircraft will be made of lightweight and high-strength materials designed to withstand extreme aerodynamic heating.
It will perform vertical takeoffs and landings, allowing it to ascend and descend in tighter spaces.
But Nasa has unveiled its supersonic X-59 plane which is capable of cruising at 937 miles per hour, which is faster than the speed of sound.
This may make it a more realistic contender for passenger travel in the nearer future compared with Space Transportation’s.
China has also developed a super long range fighter jet which is speculated to have the ability to fly on the edge of space and is designed to reach the US.
Website The War Zone wrote: ‘But above all else, if procured in an operation form by the [Chinese air force], it would be able to fly over long regional distances and loiter for extended periods on station far from home without tanker support – something China lacks in terms of capacity versus the United States.
‘It would also presumably be able to do this in closer proximity to threats than any other manned aircraft in China’s arsenal.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
