During testing in the Gobi desert, a prototype of an innovative hypersonic aircraft developed by China achieved an astonishing speed of Mach 6, marking an important milestone in technology. The body of the hypersonic aircraft was notably large or bulky.
Chinese scientists say that a scaled-down prototype of the aircraft successfully achieved over 6.5 Mach, approximately 8,100 km/h, during flight tests. The 20-minute test flight resolved a significant challenge for aircraft designers, according to the project’s principal researcher.
The scientists assert that their new aircraft prototype, despite its enormous dimensions, achieved the speed, during a test flight in 2021. Due to the sensitive nature of the project, the institute and Chinese authorities maintained the confidentiality of the flight’s results.
The prototype jet’s launch was captured in a video posted on social media by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The post also included a speech by Cui Kai, the researcher at the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the project supervisor. Cui delivered the speech at an event in Beijing in October, during which he provided a comprehensive explanation of the test results and the methodology employed by his team.
In 2013, Cui and his crew presented a conceptual design for a jet that could reach hypersonic speeds. They predicted that an aircraft of this nature could transport passengers and cargo from Beijing to New York in a mere two hours. At present, the average passenger plane travels 11,000 kilometers between the two capitals in approximately 12 to 14 hours.
According to a press release issued by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cui and his team required nearly three years to transition from the concept to the prototype. In 2018, rumors surfaced that Cui’s team had created a jet design that could achieve hypersonic speeds.
There is an intriguing aspect of this new endeavor which is its departure from the conventional concepts of hypersonic vehicles that are widely recognized. It is important to acknowledge that the Concorde demonstrated the viability of commercial supersonic flights; however, hypersonic travel exceeds the technology’s capabilities.
Cui’s team was granted clearance for a test flight of the hypersonic aircraft prototype in 2021, as indicated by a report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The Jiuquan Spaceport in the Gobi Desert of northwest China was the site of the test in August 2021. The SCMP report characterized it as a 20-minute flight that resolved a substantial design issue for aviation engineers.
At present, the internal space of several hypersonic vehicles is restricted, rendering them primarily appropriate for military applications, unmanned reconnaissance missions, and missiles. Cui acknowledged that his project was initially met with skepticism; however, the team conducted plenty of experiments to resolve uncertainties prior to the final test flight.
Nevertheless, neither the Chinese Academy of Sciences nor Cui have disclosed whether a full-scale aircraft model has been built or is in progress, nor have they specified a timeline for the initial flight.
Cui acknowledged in his report that his team continues to encounter a variety of challenges that necessitate immediate resolution, such as those associated with structural design, materials, and electricity.
The National Natural Science Foundation of China approved funding for developing civilian hypersonic flight technology in 2022; however, the exact amount of funding remains undisclosed.
It would be a major breakthrough in the pursuit of rapid air travel if Chinese scientists could build and deploy a hypersonic aircraft that is comparable to a jumbo jet, such as the Boeing 747. Nonetheless, the SCMP frequently reports on China’s hypersonic research accomplishments, which, with the possible exception of missiles, have never produced a completed product.
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