A Chinese start-up said its superfast drone – capable of reaching four times the speed of sound – would make its first flight next year as military hypersonic technology trickled down to the commercial sector.
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The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is being developed by Sichuan Lingkong Tianxing Technology Co, Ltd as part of a broader effort to develop a supersonic passenger jet, according to the company. The company announced it was developing the aircraft at a news conference in southwest China’s Chengdu on Monday.
The drone bears the name Cuantianhou, which means “soaring stone monkey” – a name given to Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, one of the best-known figures in Chinese literature and mythology.
It weighs 1.5 tonnes and measures seven metres (23 feet) long, and is powered by two detonation engines. It can reach a cruising speed of Mach 4.2 at an altitude of 20km (12.4 miles).
According to chief engineer Deng Fan, Cuantianhou will complete its first flight next year, while a high-speed passenger jet called Da Sheng, another name for Sun Wukong, is expected to take to the skies for its prototype flight by 2030.
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Supersonic technology has been a critical component of military hardware, and in recent years it has trickled down to the commercial sector.