Hypersonic jet could reach Australia in under five hours

Hypersonic jet could reach Australia in under five hours

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British engineers unveiled plans Tuesday for a hypersonic jet which could fly from Europe to Australia in less than five hours.

The A2 plane, designed by engineering company Reaction Engines based in Oxfordshire, southern England, could carry 300 passengers at a top speed of almost 4,000 mph (6,400 kmh), five times the speed of sound.

The LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies) project, backed by the European Space Agency, could see the plane operating within 25 years, the firm's boss Alan Bond told the Guardian daily.

"The A2 is designed to leave Brussels international airport, fly quietly and subsonically out into the north Atlantic at mach 0.9 before reaching mach 5 across the North Pole and heading over the Pacific to Australia," he said.

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This is great news - if the project happens.

There's been a void left by the retirement of concorde, and hopefully, this could fill it and take us to the next phase of easy, quick planetary travel.

The only problem is, I'll be in my mid 60's when it goes into service

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Why could it not be used to exit the atmosphere and into space since it travels at such great speeds? Sounds Better than the space shuttle.

What a fascinating invention.

I agree with you over Concorde, buski - it was a great shame. But now we may have it's replacement, and I hope this new plane will secure the relevant backing to become operational.