Aerospace

Boeing unveils its ‘Son of Blackbird’ hypersonic spy plane concept that could travel at 3,800mph

Boeing has finally unveiled a concept for the potential successor to the legendary Blackbird SR-71 spy plane - and it is set to travel at more than five times the speed of sound.

This 'Son of Blackbird' could become a high-speed strike and reconnaissance aircraft in warfare of the future, travelling at such speeds that adversaries would have no time to react or hide.

It is designed to carry out spy missions in the same way as the Blackbird SR-71, which was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career.

In 1976 it set an absolute speed record of 2,193.2mph (3,529kmh) - a record it still holds today.

The concept was unveiled at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech forum and is the direct competitor to Lockheed Martin's design which could be in the skies late in the 2020s.

The speed of sound, Mach 1, is around 767mph (1,235kmh). Hitting Mach 5 would mean the new craft has to travel at an astonishing 3,836mph (6,174kmh).