Very soon, already in 2025, a new era could open for commercial flights (and not only) with a reduction in times like never before: this is the promise of Venus Aerospacea startup founded in 2020 by Andrew and Sassie Duggleby who have already accumulated 70 million dollars for the development of a reusable high-speed technology with a revolutionary engine that has already proven successful in the maiden flight of supersonic drone last February.
How the new system works
Before going into detail, here are the dream numbers: for a flight from Rome to New York today it takes on average 9 hours and 45 minutes but with the new plane only 55 minutes, for a flight from London to Beijing today it takes around ten hours but with Venus’ new advanced propulsion system only an hour and a few minutes. It sounds like science fiction but that’s what the new engine called VDR2 promises to do with speeds never achieved before Mach 6basically six times the speed of sound.
Technical specifications
“VDR2 combines the high thrust of a rotary detonation rocket engine (RDRE) with the cruise efficiency of a Ramjet, offering a single engine from takeoff to speeds of Mach 6, with aerodynamic airflow for low drag and without the need for complex mechanical components”, explains the company. Its capacity for a direct flight is equal to 5,000 miles (just over 8 thousand km), it uses standard conventional materials for easier production and maintenance with take-offs and landings that can take place at numerous airports and flight facilities. Another fundamental feature that no commercial aircraft has ever achieved: its flight can also take place at 30 km altitude, three times higher than what happens today.
“A new reality”
Enthusiastically Andrew Duggleby revealed the functions of. this new engine that “makes the hypersonic economy a reality. We are excited to partner with Velontra to bring about this revolution in high-speed flight, given their expertise in high-speed air burning“. At this point the countdown has begun: 2025 should be the year in which these new prototypes called supersonic drones will take to the skies.
“We look forward to digging in, flying the first one, and ultimately perfecting an engine concept that has lived mostly in textbooks but never as a production unit in the air“, underlines Eric Brigg, Chief Operating Officer of Velontra, a company that produces aircraft
supersonic. “We couldn’t think of a better partner than Venus. Rocketry pioneers in their own right and ready to tackle difficult problems, we are eager to travel the same path with them“.