Mach 8 Hydrogen Aircraft

[NcSchu]

Courtesy of The Register (See: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/24 ... _airliner/)

The European Union (EU) has agreed further funding for a European civil hypersonics project whose goal is to achieve passenger flights from Brussels to Sydney in "two to four hours", at speeds of Mach 4 to 8.

The aircraft will have a different engine than Concorde which will (obviously) allow it to travel at higher speeds, but will also allow it to fly sub-sonically if it has to and can fire up when stationary eliminating the need for a booster. It will also be insanely large, as you can see in the photo. Not as good-looking as Concorde though..

[PhilDernerJr]

I almost just sold my Boeing stock upon reading this! (kidding)

Looks wild. This looks like a design for the distant future, but very interesting and cool nonetheless.

Anyone want to take a stab at making it to-scale at a JFK scene? From Bayswater or on the ramp perhaps?

[mirrodie]

If you can get me to Australia in less than 6 hours, I'd be thrilled.

[moose135]

If you can get me to Australia in less than 6 hours, I'd be thrilled.

Of course, you would be sitting in the departure line at JFK for 8 hours, but...

[T-Bird76]

Looking at the A380 next to that design makes you realize how god awfully ugly the A380 is... lol Phil's right though, this is certainly in the distant future. Unless an alternative fuel if found or somehow these engines are super efficient I can't see the airlines expressing too much interest. The other issue is this design is a total 180 from what Boeing is working (See DERF's post). Two totally different aircraft designs will not make airport designers very happy.

[PhilDernerJr]

Look at the size of the aircraft, and then realize thatit's only 300 passengers. ?!?!!?

I love the title of the article, "Hypersonic hydrogen airliner to bitchslap Concorde".

[G-BOAD]

The Concorde was a thing of art, this is a thing of :shock: :? :?: :idea: :roll: :arrow: :?:
SST's flying again would be cool, but Im almost 100% sure the project will change before the rollout. It might be intresting, but right now, i think its a little to early to for my opinion.