Zero Emission Hyper Sonic Transport

ZEHST (Zero Emission High Speed Transportation)
Role Supersonic transport
Manufacturer EADS
Designer EADS
Introduction June 2010
Status In development
Primary user EADS
Program cost n/a
Unit cost
n/a

The Zero Emission Hyper Sonic Transport[1] or ZEHST is a supersonic passenger airliner project by EADS and Japan.[2] It can be seen as a descendant of the Concorde airliner.

Unveiled on 18 June 2011 by EADS at Le Bourget air show, it is projected to fly at Mach 4, 32 km above the ground,[3] carrying 50 to 100 people. It would combine three propulsion systems: two turbofans for take-off and up to Mach 0.8, then rocket boosters up to Mach 2.5, then two underwing supersonic ramjets would accelerate it to Mach 4. The plane is envisaged to be propelled by biofuel made from seaweed[1] and by oxygen/hydrogen.[3]

Using turbofans for take off would make ZEHST no more noisy than current-day ordinary planes. ZEHST is envisaged to fly by 2050 and would fly from London to Japan in less than 3 hours.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jones, Bryony (June 21, 2011), "Race to be first with 'son of supersonic", CNN, retrieved June 21, 2011
  2. ↑ Lichfield, John (June 20, 2011), "London to New York in 90 minutes: is this the Concorde of the future?", The Independent (UK), retrieved June 25, 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Concorde's successor revealed at Paris Air Show", The Independent, June 20, 2011, retrieved June 21, 2011.

External links