Supersonic Aircraft: Chinese company releases prototype design for supersonic aircraft
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The dream of linking the world with supersonic airliners has never ceased. After Concorde retired in 2003, other programs have made slow but steady progress. And in China, a company has just released its plan. CGTN's Zheng Yibing reports. 

This video clip was filmed on December 17 last year in northwestern China. The test flight was on a ramjet for future supersonic airliners. 

Its developer, Chinese company Yunxing, says the ramjet achieved four times the speed of sound at an altitude of more than 20 kilometers for 45 seconds and this is important for the next step. 

ZHENG YIBING Chengdu, Sichuan Province "Next to me is the ramjet coded Jindou-400. It has a thrust of 400 kilograms and will evolve to become part of the power system of this supersonic aircraft prototype that's scheduled to take its maiden flight in 2026."

The brand-new prototype is named "Cuantianhou" with implied meaning of soaring in the sky. 

It will go through a comprehensive system assessment on key technical indicators, like take-off and landing mode, aerodynamic layout, material properties, thermal management capability and engine performance. 

DENG FAN Chief Engineer, YUNXING Tech "In 2025 and 2026, we will have intense work to do, either iteration of the research and development program, or key experiments. This is to ensure the success of the maiden flight in 2026."

A new generation of supersonic or hypersonic airliners are the dreams of global developers since Concorde retired in 2003. 

Chinese company Yunxing is one of them. It has adopted the design route of aerospace, rather than aviation, to achieve its goal. 

DENG FAN Chief Engineer, YUNXING Tech "What we are working on is the ramjet engines. In this sector, we start from the same intro stage with companies in developed countries and we have pretty mature industrial capacity."

The 7-metre prototype will pave the way for the prototype of a supersonic airliner some 30 meters long and 70 tons in weight, with passenger seats, expected to debut in 2030. 

The Chief Designer says the company will address challenges to make the airliner fly with different engines integrated, and achieve low noise and cost, and a high level of comfort. 

Zheng Yibing, CGTN, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.