Hermeus, an aerospace technology startup based in Atlanta, is revolutionizing the aviation industry with its development of a Mach 5 supersonic aircraft called Halcyon. This aircraft is capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5 (6,174 km/h), allowing it to travel between London and New York in just 90 minutes. In comparison, the Concorde, one of the two supersonic aircraft to have ever carried passengers, had a maximum speed of only Mach 2.04 (2,173 km/h).
Hermeus plans to begin test flights and passenger operations of the Halcyon later this decade. With more than 125 planned routes, the Halcyon has a range of 6,437 km, making it capable of completing non-stop transatlantic flights like from New York to Paris. However, trans-Pacific routes such as from Los Angeles to Tokyo would require a small transit point due to the finite range of the aircraft. Despite its impressive speed and capabilities, the Halcyon cannot be used for intercontinental and domestic flights over land due to the loud sonic boom it creates when traveling at five times the speed of sound.
The company is focusing on developing a unique jet engine that will enable their supersonic aircraft to take off and operate efficiently. The new engine design combines technology from aviation and defense industries and is a hybrid between a turbojet engine and a jet engine that operates at supersonic speeds or higher. The Halcyon will use the turbojet mode for subsonic speeds like during takeoff and landing and then switch to the jet mode when it reaches supersonic speeds during acceleration and cruising.
The new engine developed by Hermeus will be used for the first time on the Quarterhorse, their second aircraft prototype set to fly near the end of 2024. This prototype was co-developed by Hermeus and the US Air Force in a $60 million project to demonstrate their ability to take off and land at high speeds. Following