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How long would it take to fly from London to New York at Mach 10?

This hypersonic jet could potentially travel from London to Melbourne in 90 minutes. The Skreemr concept design sparked debate in 2015. Its designers claim that it could travel at speeds as fast as Mach 10, reaching New York from London in 30 minutes.



Flying from London to New York at Mach 10 is currently in the realm of hypersonic experimental physics rather than commercial reality, but the math is staggering. The distance between the two cities is roughly 3,450 miles (5,550 km). Mach 10 represents ten times the speed of sound, which at cruising altitude is approximately 7,670 miles per hour (12,340 km/h). At this sustained speed, the actual flight time would be a mere 27 minutes. However, in a real-world scenario, you must factor in the time needed for a gradual acceleration to avoid crushing G-forces on passengers and a lengthy deceleration phase to descend safely into JFK. This would likely add another 15–20 minutes to the journey. While companies like Hermeus and various global defense agencies are testing "scramjet" technology for hypersonic flight, the heat generated by friction at Mach 10 would melt most known aerospace materials. For now, we are looking at a future where Mach 5 (the threshold for hypersonic) might one day offer 90-minute Atlantic crossings, but a 27-minute "Mach 10" dash remains a theoretical limit of atmospheric travel.

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