Chinese detonation engine in test flight for supersonic passenger jet

Jindouyun – named after Monkey King’s ‘somersault cloud’ – reached Mach 4 at more than 65,600 feet, Space Transportation says

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The Jindouyun, or JinDou400, has been designed for a passenger jet the company says will be able to fly from Beijing to New York in two hours. Photo: Handout

Published: 6:00am, 18 Dec 2024

A Chinese commercial aerospace company conducted the first test flight of a detonation ramjet engine on Tuesday, designed for an aircraft it says will be able to take passengers from Beijing to New York in two hours.

The Jindouyun, or JinDou400, engine was named after the “somersault cloud” used by the Monkey King in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West.

Its developer Space Transportation, or Lingkong Tianxing Technology, said it had reached a speed of 5,000km/h or Mach 4 – four times the speed of sound – at altitudes exceeding 65,600 feet.

The engine uses detonation combustion technology and features a modular, compact design.

“This engine has significant commercial potential in the field of high-speed flight within near-space environments,” the Beijing-based company said in a statement.

The engine, which uses detonation combustion technology, completed a test flight on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

Unlike traditional rocket engines or jet engines, the detonation ramjet generates thrust by using shock waves from detonation combustion to compress the incoming air, eliminating the need for compressors and turbine components. This simplifies the structure, improves the thrust-to-weight ratio, and lowers costs.