Canadian engineer Charles Bombardier, has come up with a concept aircraft that could revolutionise air travel.
Dubbed as Antipode, this hypersonic jet is capable of travelling 12,430 miles in under an hour.
That is, like travelling from New Delhi to London in less than half an hour. (4,168 miles is the distance between New Delhi and London) New York to London (3,460 miles) in 11 minutes, or New York to Sydney (9,930 miles) in 32 minutes.
"I wanted to create an aircraft concept capable of reaching its antipode, or the diametrical opposite, as fast as possible," Bombardier explains his new jet.
So what is Antipode?
Antipode is widely dubbed as an improved version of another concept aircraft 'Skreemr' designed by Bombardier himself. While Skreemr could reach a speed of Mach 10 speeds, Antipode is capable of travelling at Mach 24 speeds, or in other words, 12 times faster than the Concorde.
How does it work?
Antipode’s wings would be fitted with rocket boosters that would propel the aircraft to 40,000 feet, and enable it to reach Mach 5.
Like the Skreemr, the plane would be powered by a scramjet engine. Unlike conventional jet engines, scramjet engines have virtually no moving parts.
The jet would be powered by burning oxygen from the atmosphere instead of having to carry heavy tanks full of oxygen. The machine would need to be built using heat and pressure-proof materials.
So when is it coming out?
Well, Antipode is still a concept it will take at least a couple of years before we see a proto-type, let alone an actual aircraft .
One of the drawbacks to the design, according to Bombardier, is developing a stable and reliable scramjet engine. There would also need to be a plan to deal with the g-forces passengers would experience.
One big problem is heat. Objects travelling past Mach 5 can reach upwards of 980 C (1800 F), and there are only few materials that can withstand those kinds of temperatures.
One big problem is heat. Objects travelling past Mach 5 can reach upwards of 980 C (1800 F), and there are only few materials that can withstand those kinds of temperatures.
