The patent includes a fuselage, gothic delta wing on either side of the fuselage and the system of motors.
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Airbus, which has a major research and development centre in Filton, is working on a new hypersonic jet which would cut journey times between the UK and the US to just one hour. The aircraft is powered by three different types of engines that help it cruise at a speed of more than 3,000 miles per hour.
To get off the ground, the craft will uses a pair of turbojets mounted underneath the fuselage as well as a rocket motor mounted in the rear.
The invention involves turbojets and ramjets – a type of jet engine – and a rocket motor.
The plane, according to the patent, would work with a few different propulsion systems.
This will give passengers what Patent Yogi describes as a “supersonic rollercoaster ride”, as the aircraft races skywards before levelling out at altitude at speeds of Mach 4.5, and then finally slowing down and returning to earth.
FORGET about Concorde a new plane is being planned which will smash flying times across the Atlantic.
In its application, Airbus said that the “market envisaged [for the potential new aircraft] is principally that of business travel and VIP passenger”. Even trips half way round the world – like from Paris to San Francisco or Tokyo to Los Angeles – could be completed in about three hours.
Last month, Air Force bosses revealed they hope to have a hypersonic plane capable of crossing countries in minutes by 2023.
The project has already been dubbed the son of Concorde by industry experts.
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Air Force Chief Scientist Mica Endsley told Military.com that the Air Force and Darpa, the Pentagon’s research entity, plan to have a new and improved hypersonic air vehicle by 2023.
