# Mach 5 air travel?



## CHamilton (Dec 1, 2012)

Hypersonic Flight ‘Breakthrough’ Could Have Us in Tokyo by Lunch



> The promise of hypersonic flight sending us halfway around the world in a matter of hours is being bandied about again, this time by a British company that declares, with all due humility, that it has made “the biggest breakthrough in aerospace propulsion technology since the invention of the jet engine.”
> Reaction Engines Limited says its hypersonic engine will send us streaking across the sky at speeds well over Mach 5, allowing us to have bagels for breakfast in New York and sushi for lunch in Tokyo. The hypersonic engine design reportedly includes new ways of cooling the air for an engine that will use oxygen in the atmosphere up to Mach 5.5 before switching to rocket power for the ride in space.
> 
> ...
> ...


----------



## Anderson (Dec 1, 2012)

So, would anybody care to estimate what the cost of those tickets will cost, if the project even pans out? I'm reminded of the Concorde...yeah, it got you there quickly, but you also paid through the nose and the fuel costs were rather obscene.


----------



## railiner (Dec 1, 2012)

Anderson said:


> So, would anybody care to estimate what the cost of those tickets will cost, if the project even pans out? I'm reminded of the Concorde...yeah, it got you there quickly, but you also paid through the nose and the fuel costs were rather obscene.


I don't know what the costs are, but I think that if they are able to launch that service, there will definitely be a market for at least a daily New York / Tokyo flight...

The Concorde at its peak had several flights across the Atlantic on its two carriers. And the Concorde did not reinvent itself over its lifespan, when newer, more fuel efficient engines evolved in subsonic airliners, due to its high development costs for a tiny fleet.

The much longer trans-pacific flight should really be an attractive market for the considerable business traffic looking to save time.

I am glad I had a chance for one flight on the Concorde in 1998, and would gladly book a flight on this new aircraft whenever it goes into service..


----------



## xyzzy (Dec 1, 2012)

The vehicle's rocket would use LH2 and LO2. Not practical for passengers.


----------

