Supersonic aircraft crosses Atlantic in three-hour test flight

A supersonic aircraft that can fly across the Atlantic in just three hours has completed its first successful test flight.

The aircraft dubbed "The Descendant of Concorde" is being developed by the American company Spike Aerospace. An unmanned prototype of the S-512 supersonic aircraft took off in the sky over New England, USA, on October 14, according to Sun.

According to Spike, the test flight went smoothly and the aircraft's aerodynamic design is very efficient. The company hopes to have the private jet completed by early 2021 and delivered to customers two years later.

The S-512 can carry up to 22 passengers, with a range of 6,200 miles. The S-512's cruising speed is 1,200 mph, or 1.6 times the speed of sound. Spike says the plane is designed to fly over land without creating annoying sonic booms.

“Flight tests are conducted in real-world situations and provide much more data than wind tunnel testing in an artificial environment. We can test not only performance but a whole range of technical parameters,” said Vik Kachoria, Spike’s CEO.

"The flight tests provided invaluable information that we can use to refine the design. I am excited that the test results will help our supersonic aircraft development program," said test pilot Krishna Kumar Malu.

According to VNE