Virgin Galactic reveals high-speed Mach 3 aircraft design

Virgin Galactic has unveiled the triangular design of its high-speed commercial aircraft Mach 3, which will feature an engine developed by Rolls-Royce.

The Mach 3 aircraft would have capacity for nine to 19 passengers, who would be flown at an altitude above 60,000 feet (18,300 metres) – the maximum cruise altitude of Concorde, which had an average cruise speed of Mach 2.

It would have delta-wings, the triangle-shaped wings used on the Concorde and a number of other supersonic aircrafts.

The vehicle would also be designed to accommodate "custom" cabin interior layouts to offer flyers Business or First Class-style seating arrangements, as well as service for passengers on long-distance commercial flights.

The unveiling of the aircraft design was announced alongside the news that Virgin Galactic has partnered with Rolls-Royce to develop the engine propulsion technology for the Mach 3.

Rolls-Royce, typically known as a luxury car brand, was responsible for developing the Olympus 593 turbojet engine that powered the supersonic commercial Concorde aircraft.

The Mach 3 has been designed to be powered by innovative sustainable aviation fuel in a bid to make it less damaging to the environment.

"We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience," said George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic's chief space officer.

"We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start."

"We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high speed travel," Whitesides added.

According to Virgin Galactic, the aircraft is intended to make high-speed travel "practical, sustainable, safe, and reliable" as well as being focused on customer experience.

The Mach 3 would take off and land in the same way as any other passenger aircraft, and would be expected to work with existing airport infrastructure.

The Virgin Galactic team will now progress onto the next phase of design, which involves finalising the architecture of the aircraft and selecting which materials will be used in its design and manufacturing.

Virgin Galactic recently unveiled the interior design of its SpaceshipTwo craft, which is set to take six passengers on a sub-orbital flight into space to view the Earth and experience several minutes of weightlessness.

The cabin design was created in collaboration with London studio Seymourpowell to provide "safety without distraction" as well as to maximise the views of Earth from space.

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