The supersonic, bi-directional design in high-speed mode, with shorter, thinner wings providing lift. Image courtesy University of Miami Aerodynamics and CFD Lab.

Cleared for Mach 2 after departure, this supersonic jet of the future would yaw 90 degrees and put a new set of wings into the wind. The brainchild of Ge-Chen Zha of the University of Miami, the “supersonic, bi-directional flying wing” recently landed a $100,000 NASA grant to continue development of a concept that could cut the New York to Tokyo travel time to four hours—and perhaps significantly faster than that, Zha said..........read all