The aviation industry has been hoping for a hypersonic flight since the first jets took to the skies. Hypersonic jets looked more feasible than ever with the advent of supersonic aircraft like the Concorde. Supersonic passenger flights were off due to the prohibitive costs of manufacture and fuel and other technical difficulties.
Hypersonic flying has gained popularity in recent years as various new and existing businesses compete to design the next generation of supersonic airplanes. Destinus, a hypersonic company in Switzerland, is one of the most exciting enterprises.
Destinus: The European Company Revolutionizing Hypersonic Flight
A new European company, Destinus, is making significant advances in the battle to construct hypersonic aircraft for commercial travel. The goal of the hydrogen-powered flying idea developed by Destinus is to reduce flight times to less than a fourth of what they are with today’s commercial air travel. The long-term objective of the firm is to power its aircraft entirely with hydrogen, a form of clean and sustainable energy. However, the company intends to utilize conventional aviation fuel for takeoff and convert it to hydrogen once the aircraft reaches supersonic speeds.
The Design and Prototypes of Destinus Aircraft
The wave rider design, initially dreamed about in the 1950s but never produced, may be seen on the blended-body aircraft manufactured by Destinus. Because of its creation, the plane can ride on top of the vehicle’s shock waves, significantly increasing its efficiency. With its first two prototypes, Destinus has already completed a series of successful test flights, and the company intends to launch its third prototype by the end of this year.
The future prototype for the company’s supersonic aircraft is Destinus 3, and it plans to accomplish a supersonic hydrogen-powered flight in the year 2024. The corporation aims to introduce a smaller-scale aircraft for business-class clients by the 2030s, which can carry around 25 people. The completely scaled-up version, including an economy class, will be ready sometime in the 2040s.
Challenges and Obstacles Faced by Hypersonic Plane Developers
The objectives of Destinus are strongly reliant on the hydrogen market, which Löfqvist, the company’s business development manager, admits is beyond the company’s ability to regulate. On the other hand, she believes that by the 2040s, the cost of hydrogen will have dropped dramatically. Destinus has expanded its hydrogen propulsion capabilities by acquiring the Dutch business OPRA, which is now known as Destinus Energy. This move helps the company weather the obstacles of the hypersonic aircraft race. Additionally, the Spanish government will provide the company with grants totaling 26.7 million euros (approximately $29.4 million) in April of 2023.
Although the race to develop hypersonic aircraft is still in its infancy, the progress made by Destinus represents a significant step toward realizing the dream of nonstop, ultra-fast travel. Before the year 2040, there were; however, several technological, environmental, and financial obstacles still left to manage. Destinus is full of confidence that its pioneering method of designing aircraft and energy can usher in a groundbreaking era of hypersonic flight, undaunted by any potential obstacles.
The Race for Hypersonic Flight: Other Competitors in the Industry
Even though there are problems, Destinus is one of many companies trying to make planes that can fly faster than sound. Boom Supersonic, an aerospace business based in Denver that wants to bring back supersonic air travel with its central Overture plane, is one of the top competitors. The Overture should be ready for industrial use by the middle of the 2020s. In 2026, this aircraft will take its inaugural test flight and showcase its incredible capability to reach Mach 2.2, which is more than double the speed of sound.
Boom Supersonic has already gotten pre-orders for its Overture from United Airlines and Japan Airlines, which shows that more and more people want to travel by plane faster. Airbus and Hermeus are two other companies working on their hypersonic planes.
The Wrap Up
The race to make planes that fly faster than sound is for more than just business flights. World militaries are also putting money into hypersonic technology for combat uses. In 2019, China successfully tested its DF-17 hypersonic missile, and Russia has been working on its hypersonic missile technology. The US has also put a lot of money into hypersonic technology to make hypersonic weapons and planes for use by the military.
As the race to make hypersonic planes continues, it must be clear which company will come out on top. Even though Destinus and other companies are doing a lot of work on making hypersonic planes, there are still a lot of problems to solve, including technical, environmental, financial, and legal issues. Still, the promise of faster air travel and the possibility of a new era in flight make the race for hypersonic planes an exciting and essential thing to watch in the coming years.
