Visitors were given a possible glimpse of the future at the Paris Air Show recently, when EADS presented a concept study for a highspeed transport system that harnesses the propulsion of liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, and biofuels.
Named ZEHST (Zero Emission High Supersonic Transport), the dynamic looking jet concept was on show at the event at Le Bourget airport in north Paris, France.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter. According to a company press release, the future commercial transport vehicle is intended to fly long-haul routes – for example Tokyo-Paris or Tokyo-Los Angeles – in less than 2 hours and 30 minutes, while having a very limited impact on the environment and being operated as a standard aircraft.
ZEHST demonstrators are planned for the end of the decade, to be followed by development towards an operational vehicle. Numerous technological challenges need to be mastered so that future high-speed commercial transport systems can achieve the required performance while also meeting tomorrow’s environmental constraints. Studies have to identify how requirements and objectives can be aligned with technical aspects.
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