Testing hypersonic technology for military and civilian use by Chinese researchers has reached Mach 5+ via a test done at the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU).
Last July 4, the NPU, which the US sanctioned, claimed a new super-fast aircraft was completed with success, mentioned SCMP.
Chinese Uni Tests Aircraft With Faster Speeds
The university posted on social media on July 5; the Feitian 1 could fly more than Mach 5 with a combo using a rocket and a scram jet engine, reported EurAsian Times.
Only one week before the announcement of this successful test flight, China had successfully flown a tiny, unmanned hypersonic civilian prototype known as Nanqiang No 1.
By 2025, the scientists working on that initiative expect to have finished the test phase and begun the construction of a flyable prototype.
Northwestern Polytechnical University is among the sanctioned Chinese organizations on the US sanctions list.
One such organization is NPU, which has previously helped develop various weapon systems, including fighter jets and spacecraft, and is mainly controlled by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, per Community 99.
Chinese researchers said in December 2021 that it was developing a hypersonic aircraft that could transport ten people anywhere in the world in less than an hour, flying at Mach 5+
The 148-foot (45-meter) long aircraft, which was then discovered to have delta wings similar to those of Concorde, the first supersonic airliner in history, but with the tips pointing upward, was around one-third the size of a Boeing 737 at the time.
This futuristic plane uses an "air-breathing" magnetic fluid engine that zooms to any point on earth in less than an hour.
Despite being continuously chastised by its western counterparts, they coordinated efforts to create an operable hypersonic aircraft for civilian use. However, the University's new assertions may prove to be a game-changer for its long-term viability.
New Feitian 1 Aircraft
The vehicle's vertical launching is capable of flying at several speeds, launched vertically and uses a traditional rocket and scram jet engine to switch from supersonic to ultrasonic speeds. It is a challenge for engineers worldwide.
Problems were experienced when air-breathing scram jets reached Mach 4 that choked, necessitating a switch that enabled a sufficient mixture of fuel and extremely high-speed airflow to drive the aircraft faster.
Kerosene was less reactive and more stable than other energy sources like hydrogen, which made starting the engine and switching engine modes more complex.
A ramjet or scramjet's efficiency starts to deteriorate above Mach 6. When the air temperature in the inlet rises, less energy can be extracted in the form of thrust.
Although the employment of hypersonic flying technology has primarily been restricted to the military up until now, it has the potential to revolutionize human transportation. One country that lacks even an operable hypersonic weapon is the United States.
These hypersonic tests were done by Chinese researchers from the NPU that reached Mach 5+, ironing out the technology that will fully develop for civilian use.
Related Article: China Overtakes America as AI Superpower by Tapping US Firms To Leap Frog Development
