China’s New Hypersonic Aircraft Will Be Larger Than A Boeing 737

In a recent study published in Physics of Gases, scientists in China’s Mars and moon missions have revealed a new design concept for a hypersonic aircraft that’s larger than a Boeing 737.

The plane’s performance was evaluated at high altitudes using a new aerodynamic model. It showed that the aircraft appears a third longer than a 737-700 at 45 meters (148 feet). In addition, the plane has two delta wings that look like the Concorde’s but with tips directing upward and a pair of air-breathing engines on top of its main body.

Many challenges might be faced during the flight, mainly when the plane goes into a hypersonic mode, which significantly exceeds the sound speed. To overcome this, the researchers came up with a solution while examining the areas on the plane that needed extra attention. All of these vulnerable areas need a strong guard so that they can endure high temperatures and solid pressures when the plane hits Mach 6 (six times the speed of sound – 4,447mph or 7,344km/h).

Liu Rui from the Beijing Institute of Technology is the chief scientist of the Mars and Lunar missions. According to Science &Technology Daily, his models played a crucial role in improving the Chinese spacecraft’s aerodynamic design and flight path planning. Rui’s efforts are seen in the two successful missions accomplished by China in the first attempt.

Hypersonic aircraft seems to be China’s most eminent high-tech goal, and it has contributed a lot to the sector. According to an official timeline revealed in June, China’s goal is to validate the hypersonic flight mechanism by 2025, including an incredible air-breathing engine that can drive an aircraft to rocket speed. By 2035, the nation’s goal is to run a fleet of hypersonic aircraft that can transport ten passengers to anywhere on Earth within one hour. Finally, by 2045, China expects to have these planes flying with over 100 passengers per flight.

Hypersonic planes get oxygen from the air, and therefore, can function at 100th of the cost of rockets. As a result, China will be capable of transporting more than 10K tonnes of cargo and over 10K passengers to the moon or space stations in near-Earth orbit per year.

For now, the plane is used for military purposes only. The existing version of the aircraft wouldn’t be ideal for traveling, as its enormous engine and air inlets take up all of the space. Besides, strong turbulence triggering vibration and extreme heat makes it the farthest thing from a smooth and comfortable flight.

Regardless, hypersonic planes are the future. In May, engineers at the University of Central Florida developed a new hypersonic engine to see Mach 17 aircraft become a reality. www.intelligentliving.co