It’s been over two decades since the Concorde made its final flight. Since then, supersonic air travel has been missing from the commercial aviation industry. However, the interest in supersonic and hypersonic air travel has been on the rise over the last decade, with many companies across the globe working hard to design jets that don’t suffer from the flaws of the Concorde. A few days back, we brought you a revolutionary wingless supersonic aircraft concept named Sky OV created by Spanish designer Oscar Vinals.
The jet, which looks straight out of a sci-fi movie, has all the qualities to revolutionize luxury air travel. Capable of cruising at supersonic speeds, it promises to complete the journey from London to New York in less than five hours. However, Oscar’s portfolio also includes a hypersonic aircraft that can complete the transatlantic journey in just 90 minutes. Meet the Sky Magnetar, a half-plane, and half-rocket which is named after a type of neutron star.
The Sky Magnetar looks like a futuristic and more aerodynamic version of the space shuttle. The aircraft’s designer claims the Magnetar will be capable of flying at speeds of 4,200mph (Mach 5), making it more than three times faster than the Concorde. This will be made possible with the help of two combined cycle engine located right at the rear of the hypersonic aircraft. The same engine will propel the Magnetar when it flies at subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic speeds.
For subsonic speeds, the theoretical propulsion system will rely on a blade-less Dyson jet engine with six turbines. The turbofan engine can transform into a rocket engine for hypersonic speeds with the help of a movable diffuser to control airflow, a plasma chamber, superconducting magnets at low temperatures, a main combustion chamber, and a bypass ramjet engine. Interestingly, the propulsion system will use hydrogen as fuel, making the Sky Magnetar an emissions-free aircraft.
Coming to the design of the hypersonic aircraft, it features a sleek, aerodynamic fuselage with a very small drag coefficient. Measuring 112 meters in length, the Magnetar has a quad-wing design for maximum performance at both low and high speeds. Oscar says the jet will be equipped with heat shields made of fiber–metal and ceramic matrix composites to protect it from extreme heat produced at hypersonic speeds. Furthermore, a carbon-carbon composite will be used in the nose cone and leading edges. The material exhibits a unique combination of high thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, stiffness, strength, low permeability, and high-temperature stability.
The fuselage also has a unique active cooling system that pumps fluids through closed-loop pipes to control the heat generated by air friction at hypersonic speeds. The system will be fed with hydrogen gas from the fuel cell of the aircraft. You’ll also notice the lack of traditional windows on the Sky Magnetar. The aircraft will have small round ports on the top of the cabin like a space capsule because of the speeds and pressure involved. According to the concept artist, there will be virtual windows inside the cabin for passengers that project a real-time view of the outside. Since the aircraft is not that big, it can only accommodate 100 to 120 passengers who will be seated in two-by-two rows of seats. Finally, the hypersonic jet will be operated by two pilots assisted by an AI-based system that can also fly the aircraft when needed. The Sky Magnetar is a super cool concept we’ll definitely want to see take to the skies someday.
