Hypersonic jet could slash flight time between New York and London to just 1 hour
This hypersonic jet could get travelers from New York City to London in under an hour.Venus Aerospace, a Texan aerospace company, is working on building a hypersonic jet, dubbed the Stargazer, that would travel about six times the speed of sound and reach much higher altitudes.
The nearly 3,500-mile journey from New York to London typically takes about seven hours.Other high-speed aircraft have shortened the journey, but never by this much.
The Stargazer would be around three times faster than the Concorde and five times that of NASA’s upcoming plane nicknamed the “Son of Concorde.” There are about 21 direct flights from New York City to London every day, according to Flights From.The new, $33 million airliner would drastically improve travel for those wanting to make it across the pond.
Venus Aerospace debuted the engine — Venus Detonation Ramjet 2,000-pound Thrust Engine (VDR2), which would power the plane — at the Up.Summit innovation event in Bentonville, Arkansas, last week.The Stargazer would take off using traditional jet engines and then transition to the VDR2 once it reaches an appropriate altitude.
The VDR2, which uses rockets and a ramjet, is expected to reach 4,600 miles per hour, about six times the speed of sound (Mach 6).Along with the Stargazer, the engine will also be used to power high-speed drones and was successfully tested in a small drone earlier this year.The company is expected to complete a second drone test in 2025. Passengers traveling on the hypersonic jet won’t just be flying faster — they’ll also be going higher, reaching up to 110,000 feet, which will allow them to see the curvature of Earth.
The Concorde reached about 60,000 feet, and a passenger jet’s regular altitude is around 35,000 feet.“This engine makes the hypersonic economy a reality,” Dr.
Andrew Duggleby, co-founder of Venus Aerospace, said during the unveiling at the innovation gathering Up.Summit.“We are excited to partner with Velontra to a...