The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) said that the latest testing of its high-speed flier was carried out on its full-scale 2 km. test line in the northern province of Shanxi, reported South China Morning Post today.
The high-speed flier project integrates aerospace and terrestrial rail transport technologies with a designed speed of up to 1,000 km/hr—surpassing commercial aviation speeds. The superconducting maglev technology “levitates” the train to eliminate friction as it travels through the specially designed low-vacuum tube. The near-vacuum conditions reduce air resistance, achieving “near-ground flight” at ultra-high speeds.
While the exact speed reached remains classified, the Third Academy of CASIC said it had made “a significant breakthrough” with the latest test, reporting only that the results surpassed the previous known record set by a superconducting maglev vehicle—623 km/hr on a 380 meter track.
