Chinese scientists have launched a supersonic aircraft with a uniquely large fuselage, achieving speeds sufficient to travel between Beijing and New York in just two hours.
In the first publicly announced test flight, the small-scale prototype of the aircraft reached a maximum speed of Mach 6.56 (8,100 km/h). This trial serves as a preliminary check of a design that was once deemed impossible when it was announced six years ago.
The new supersonic aircraft prototype from China features a broad fuselage and wings that spread wide on its back like a cloak. (Photo: Chinese Academy of Sciences).
“At that time, everyone thought this was a crazy idea. We faced a lot of skepticism,” said Cui Kai, the lead researcher on the project from the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The new aircraft prototype marks a significant departure from previous streamlined supersonic vehicles. It has a broad fuselage and wings resembling a cloak on its back. This design implies that in the future, supersonic aircraft could carry as many passengers or as much cargo as wide-body jets.
After a decade of development, Cui’s team successfully obtained permission to conduct test flights at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China in August 2021. The test flight lasted nearly 20 minutes and addressed a long-standing challenge for aircraft designers: as flight speed increases, the usable space within the cabin decreases. This is why a tall person can easily hit their head when standing inside a Concorde supersonic passenger aircraft.
All existing supersonic aircraft capable of flying at speeds over Mach 5 (6,174 km/h) have extremely limited interior space, resulting in their use being confined primarily to military applications, such as missiles and unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. At high speeds, the front of the frame must endure significant downward pressure, which affects the vehicle’s ability to ascend.
Cui added a wide wing surface above the aircraft’s frame to convert downward pressure into upward lift, effectively turning a disadvantage into an advantage. However, this is an unprecedentedly complex design. After introducing the idea in 2018, Cui’s team continued to refine the design and enhance testing in wind tunnels. Each test costs hundreds of thousands of USD. Researchers conducted several ground tests to evaluate the feasibility of various models, paving the way for a successful test flight.
Due to the sensitivity of the project, the test flight was kept secret for three years. Cui has not disclosed the status of the full-sized aircraft’s construction or the projected timeline for the first flight. However, their efforts could revolutionize air transportation.
