Back in the day (by which we mean the 1800s), the fastest journey from UK shores to NYC was 21 days, so it’s already a phenomenal feat of science and engineering that we can now get from London to New York in just over eight hours. But there are people out there trying to make the trip even faster.
Hermeus is a hypersonic aircraft company in the US working on a swanky new aircraft called The Quarterhorse MKII, which is set to travel at 1918mph. That’s five times faster than the speed of sound. At that pace, the plane would get to New York from London in less than two hours andd become the world’s fastest aircraft.
Now, the The Quarterhorse has got one step closer to becoming a reality as Hermeus has just secured a new test site over in Jacksonville, Florida. The High Enthalpy Air-Breathing Test Facility, as it’s known, will provide the right conditions for hyper-supersonic and low-hypersonic flight and oversee flight modelling and the testing of engines and propulsion systems.
Once built, Hermeus hopes that the jet can be used commercially. In a few decades’ time, who knows? An average day trip could be a browse round the V&A in the morning, followed by a jaunt to the MoMa and coming back in time for a hearty Sunday roast.
Eyes on the skies
In other recent aviation news, three British airlines have been crowned the best in the world by the Telegraph and one northern English airport has been crowned the best on the entire planet. Another ranking by Condé Nast Traveller named two British airlines have been named best in the world and London Heathrow was recently declared the most connected airport on the globe.
ICYMI: Inside the £28.7m mega-project right next to one of the UK's busiest motorways
Plus: A new train line will soon improve access to one of the UK’s most remote seaside areas.
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