The Chinese company Lingkong Tianxing Technologyinternationally known as Space Transportationrecently presented a prototype of supersonic drone capable of reaching Mach 4.2 (about 5,140 km/h). The aircraft, called Cuantianhourepresents a fundamental step in the development of a Supersonic line planewhose first flight is expected by 2030. The announcement was made during a press conference held in the Chinese province of Sichuan.
The Cuantianhou promises extraordinary performance, with a speed twice higher than that of the Concorde. This supersonic drone long 7 meters and from the weight of 1.5 tonsis equipped with Two detonation engines. According to what reported by South China Morning Postthe first flight test is expected within one year.
The final goal of Space Transportation goes far beyond this prototype: the company aims to develop a supersonic passenger plane called By Shengwhich could enter service within 2030. This innovation could revolutionize air transport, allowing to cover the route Paris-Shanghai in only two hours.
Military technologies to improve aerodynamics and efficiency
The Cuantianhou project is based on military derivation technologies. Compared to its predecessor, the Yunxing dronepresents a Optimized aerodynamic designwith An improved angle of attack and the elimination of the front load -bearing surfacefor greater flight efficiency.
During the presentation of the prototype, the company also revealed a new version of its detonation engine, the Jindou-400s. This engine, which weighs alone 100 kg (three times less than its predecessor from 300 kg), offers a greater push: 4,000 Newtonagainst the 2,500 Newton of the previous Jindou400. In addition, its length has been reduced to almost two metersmaking it more compact and performing.
One of the most innovative aspects of Jindou-400s It is his controlled detonation combustion systeman advanced technology that allows you to optimize energy efficiency. Thanks to this solution, the new engine offers Exceptional performance with a maximum speed of Mach 4.2but with a significantly reduced fuel consumption compared to traditional engines.
With these innovations, Lingkong Tianxing Technology is a candidate to be a protagonist of the New era of supersonic aviation. If the tests are successful, traveling between continents in a few hours could soon become reality.
