China's Hypersonic Plane Could Fly Between Beijing & New York in 2 Hours

Two is the number of hours that it will take to fly from Beijing to New York via an ultra-fast plane, according to a report published by a team of Chinese researchers at Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

The plane’s double-layer wing design would allow it to travel at hypersonic speed, over 6,000km per hour (3,700 miles per hour), which is more than five times the speed of sound, reports South China Morning Post. 

The double-layer wing design functions to reduce the turbulence that would inevitably come with traveling at such extreme speeds. Although the design still faces a whole slew of other challenges. 

Researchs have dubbed the futuristic plane the 'I-Plane.' An I-Plane the size of a Boeing 737 would be able to carry roughly 50 passengers and five tons of cargo, while traveling at hypersonic speeds. 

“It will take only a couple of hours to travel from Beijing to New York at hypersonic speed,” according to the researchers.

The current passenger jet flight time between the two cities is around 14 hours.

[Images via South China Morning Post]