Hydrogen-powered supersonic aircraft
European aerospace startup Destinus unveiled the Destinus 3 hydrogen aircraft prototype at the Paris Air Show from June 19-25.
Prototype aircraft Destinus 3. Photo: Destinus
Destinus aims to produce a hydrogen-powered plane capable of carrying passengers between Frankfurt and Shanghai in less than three hours, saving eight hours compared to traditional planes, Interesting Engineering reported on June 20 . The most exciting part of Destinus's plan is to use hydrogen as a fuel, removing doubts about emissions when transporting.
Hydrogen was chosen as the fuel because of its energy value three times higher than the kerosene oil commonly used in today's aircraft. Furthermore, this fuel has good cooling capacity, making it ideal for combined cycle engines. This type of engine includes a turbojet engine that can deliver subsonic and supersonic speeds. Besides, Destinus also designed a afterburner with the ability to provide more thrust when needed.
Destinus plans to launch the first all-hydrogen commercial airliner around 2030-2032. Dubbed the Destinus S, the model is expected to carry 25 passengers and have a speed of Mach 5 (5 times the speed. sound), faster than the legendary supersonic plane Concorde.
About a decade later, Destinus planned to launch the Destinus L, a larger version with the capacity to carry up to 400 passengers. The aircraft is expected to travel at Mach 6 and run on cold hydrogen.
To date, Destinus has successfully tested the flight with the first prototype Destinus 1, a 4 m long aircraft, also known as the Jungfrau. Last October, the company tested the Eiger aircraft nearly 10 meters long at subsonic speeds. Last month, Destinus successfully tested afterburning technology with hydrogen fuel, which is also equipped for Destinus 3.
In addition to hydrogen fuel, Destinus will also introduce a new autopilot system with the Destinus 3. Flights using liquid hydrogen as fuel are expected to begin early next year. In the first phase, Destinus will attempt a subsonic flight and aim for a supersonic flight in the second half of 2024.