Airbus file patent for jet that 'could fly from London to New York in one hour'

Airbus have filed a patent for a supersonic aircraft that could travel from London to New York in an hour.

Travelling at speeds of up to Mach 4.5 (four-and-a-half times the speed of sound), a trip from Paris to San Francisco could be completed in three hours.

ITV News Science Correspondent Alok Jha reports:

Such speeds would make this aircraft roughly two-and-a-half times faster at cruising speed than the Concorde.

The URV is powered by a rocket engine, conventional jets and twin hydrogen ramjets. Credit: Airbus Group

The plane, identified as an "ultra rapid air vehicle" in the patent document, would be propelled vertically by rocket engine to supersonic speeds and then hydrogen-powered wing-mounted ramjets would take over and propel the aircraft to its destination.

Airbus claims that its shape and vertical trajectory would dramatically reduce the sonic boom that travelling at high speeds creates.

YouTube channel PatentYogi have produced a short video to explain the invention further.