British aerospace firm Reaction Engines has been working on an aircraft it believes would be able to take passengers anywhere in the world in just four hours.
If that doesn’t sound utterly awesome enough, how about this: The vehicle would also be able to fly in outer space.
Reaction Engines says there’s only one truly new technology in the aircraft that makes those things possible: the precooler.
In a new video, chief engineer Alan Bond explains that air entering the new “Sabre” engine system could be cooled by more than 1,000 degrees Celsius in .01 seconds. That ability would allow a jet engine to run at higher power than what is possible today.
And more power equals more speed. Enough to fly at Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, “pretty easily,” Bond says.
The Telegraph explained the technology in an article in late 2012:
The breakthrough technology is a cooling system which uses an array of thin pipes, arranged in a “swirl” pattern and filled with condensed helium, to extract heat from air and cool it to minus 150C before it enters the engine.
In normal circumstances, this would cause moisture in the air to freeze, coating the engine with frost, but the company has also developed a method which prevents this from happening.
The company eventually hopes to use its cooling technology to build a plane that transports 300 passengers and flies like a rocket. It will “transform high-speed aviation,” Bond says, adding, “We have no competitors. We are unique.”
Take me to the complete story . . .
The Latest on: High-speed aviation
[google_news title=”” keyword=”high-speed aviation” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: High-speed aviation
- US military aircraft crashes in sea off Japan; at least one deadon November 29, 2023 at 9:36 am
The V-22 Osprey which was carrying six people, went down about 2 miles from Yakushima island, according to the Japanese Coast Guard.
- One killed in US military Osprey aircraft crashon November 29, 2023 at 9:17 am
The Osprey is a highly flexible aircraft that can take off vertically like a helicopter but also carry out high-speed cruising of a more conventional turboprop plane with wings. Generally, Osprey is ...
- US Osprey aircraft crashes off coast of Japan with eight on boardon November 29, 2023 at 8:44 am
At least one person was killed Wednesday after a US military Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan’s Yakushima Island in southern Kagoshima prefecture, according to a spokesperson from the ...
- Soccer's sin bin trial and U.S. military aircraft crash: Morning Rundownon November 29, 2023 at 6:22 am
George Santos, Japan, military plane crash, Chuck Todd, Rockefeller tree lighting, Nikki Haley, Matthew Perry, Alex Murdaugh, finger in salad ...
- U.S. military aircraft with 6 aboard crashes off southern Japanon November 29, 2023 at 2:52 am
A crew member who was recovered from the ocean after a U.S. military Osprey aircraft carrying six people crashed Wednesday off southern Japan has been pronounced dead, coast guard officials said.
- U.S. military aircraft crashes into ocean near Japan island with six on board, one confirmed dead, coast guard sayson November 29, 2023 at 12:19 am
A U.S. military Osprey aircraft has crashed into the ocean near Yakushima Island in Japan with six personnel onboard, the local coast guard said.
- Why the world's first flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel is a green mirageon November 28, 2023 at 1:30 am
A flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel is making a trip across the Atlantic. But is it really a greener way to fly?
- High Speed Helicopter: Introducing The Airbus RACERon November 27, 2023 at 5:30 am
The Airbus Racer also opens the window to a new mode of passenger transportation for medium distances where comfort may be key. Having a high-speed helicopter to navigate these distances can reduce ...
- High Speed Business Jet: What You Need To Know About The Bombardier Global 8000on November 26, 2023 at 4:45 pm
The only business jet that comes close to the Bombardier Global 8000 is the Gulfstream G800, which is expected to be certified in early 2024. A big plus for the Bombardier jet is that it can operate ...
- U.S. Air Force Seeks Sensors For High-Speed Aircrafton November 22, 2023 at 12:24 pm
A U.S. Air Force acquisition program office is researching the market for intelligence-gathering sensors for a high-speed, high-altitude platform to participate in exercises and test events over the ...
via Bing News