China unveils stealthy supersonic jet that blasts through skies 50% further than Concorde
The C949 will also blast slightly slower than its predecessor, which managed to top 1,450mph in its heyday.
China’s Aero Engine Corporation is separately developing a hypersonic jet, known as Nanqiang No 1, that may fly six times faster than the Concorde when it takes to the skies.
The team first started working on the hypersonic jet in 2019, but are yet to make it go supersonic and reach speeds over Mach 1 (767mph).
A supersonic jet is one that can travel faster than the speed of sound at Mach 1, while a hypersonic jet is specifically five times faster, at Mach 5.
Supersonic and Hypersonic Jets
There are several types of hypersonic and supersonic jets. A breakdown of what's been happening in the industry and what's expected in the coming years.
- Built by Stratolaunch
- Reported speeds of Mach 5
- The first test flight conducted in 2024
- Built by Nasa and Lockheed Martin
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 1.4
- The first test flight in 2024 – but subject to delays
- Built by Venus Aerospace and Velontra
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 6
- First test flight in 2025
- Built by Hermeus
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 2.5
- First test flight in 2026
- Built by Hermeus
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 5
- First test flight by 2030
- Built by China’s hypersonic plane programme
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 6
- First test flight in 2025
- Built by Hypersonix Launch Systems
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 7
- First test flight in 2025