Uploaded June 2011 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
European aerospace giant EADS its studying a Mach 4 airliner able to fly 50-100 passengers from Paris to Tokyo in 2.5 hours. Not expected to emerge before 2040, the Zero Emission Hypersonic Transportation (ZEHST) concept has three modes of propulsion: turbofans from take-off to Mach 0.8, rocket boosters from there to Mach 2.5, where ramjets would take over and accelerate the aircraft to Mach 4. The ZEHST would descend in a glide until the turbofans take over for the return to the runway.
European aerospace giant EADS its studying a Mach 4 airliner able to fly 50-100 passengers from Paris to Tokyo in 2.5 hours. Not expected to emerge before 2040, the Zero Emission Hypersonic Transportation (ZEHST) concept has three modes of propulsion: turbofans from take-off to Mach 0.8, rocket boosters from there to Mach 2.5, where ramjets would take over and accelerate the aircraft to Mach 4. The ZEHST would descend in a glide until the turbofans take over for the return to the runway.
