According to a report from SCMP, a company in China has tested a prototype commercial aircraft capable of flying at Mach 4, which doubles the speed of the iconic Concorde.
“The Chinese company informs that it has conducted a test flight of a prototype commercial transport aircraft that can fly at a speed of Mach 4, which is twice the speed of the Concorde,” the report states.
Space Transportation, also known as Lingkong Tianxing Technology and based in Beijing, announced on Sunday that its Yunxing prototype successfully completed its test flight the previous day.
Further assessments of the plane’s engine technology are scheduled for November, according to the company.
The ongoing tests aim to develop a full-sized supersonic passenger aircraft ready for its initial flight by 2027.
The developer claims this supersonic jet will allow passengers to travel from Beijing to New York in approximately two hours.
The Concorde, a supersonic aircraft created through a collaboration between French and British aerospace companies, operated from 1976 until its retirement in 2003, traveling at twice the speed of sound.
In related news, the powerful Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle from United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully completed its second test flight on Friday, October 4.
