Mumbai to New York in less than 3 hours

Engineers in Britain unveiled plans on Tuesday for a hypersonic jet which could fly from Mumbai to New York in less than three hours.

The A2 plane, designed by engineering company Reaction Engines based in Oxfordshire, southern England, could carry 300 passengers at a top speed of almost 6,400 kmph – five times the speed of sound.

The LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies) project, backed by the European Space Agency, could see the plane operating within 25 years, depending on the “the requisite political will,” the firm’s boss Alan Bond said.

At 143 metres (169 feet) long, the aircraft is half the length of the Titanic and weighs 400 tonnes – lighter than a Boeing 747.

What’s more, it could theoretically fly non-stop for up to 12,500 miles (20,000 km).

“The A2 is designed to reach speeds of Mach 5,” Bond said.

To reach Mach 3, the aircraft’s engines generate thrust equivalent to that of a conventional jet aircraft. But to touch speeds beyond Mach 3, the A2 plane has to employ a specialist unit that pre-cools the super-heated air generated by flying at high speeds before it enters the turbines, preventing the engines from melting.

Top: An artist’s impression of the A2 plane taking off. Above: A size comparison between an Airbus A380 and the new aircraft

In the past, engineers weren’t successful in designing a system that was capable of operating at such extreme temperatures.

A2 operates on liquid hydrogen, which is more ecologically friendly than conventional aircraft fuel as it gives off water and nitrous oxide instead of carbon emissions.

Passengers would have to put up with having no windows, due to problems with heat produced at high speeds. Instead designers may put flat screen televisions where the windows would be, giving the impression of seeing outside.

“It sounds incredible by today’s standards but I don’t see why future generations can’t make day trips to distant countries,” Bond said.

Despite its length, the aircraft will also be able to land on current international airport runways. Fares would be comparable with current first class tickets on standard flights, of around 3,500 pounds (Rs 2,70,000 approx).

“Our work shows that it is possible technically; now it’s up to the world to decide if it wants it,” he added.

News Source : Samachar