Airbus gets patent for 'Concorde-2'

Airbus received a patent for a "rocket motor"-propelled aircraft that would have the capability of carrying passengers from New York to London in 60 minutes. 

The U.S. government approved Airbus' patented design in July that would travel at speeds of up to 4.5 times the speed of sound. This would be three times as fast as the speed of the original Concorde jet, which was retired in 2003.

Called Concorde-2, the supersonic jet would use a combination of three separate engines - turbojets, ramjets and a "rocket-motor" -- to propel it through the air, according to the patent.

he aircraft would take off from a conventional runway, using its turbojets to climb vertically into the air like a rocket.  It would level off and fly at 100,000 feet-- higher than conventional carriers - and would be fitted with aerodynamics that would make it much quieter than the original Concorde.

According to the patent, Airbus intends to use Concorde-2 primarily for military purposes and would have a seating limitation of up 19 passengers.

Meanwhile, a separate attempt to revive the original Concorde is underway by a group of aviation enthusiasts, ex-pilots, airline executives and engineers. Last month, the group said it was prepared to spend $250 million to restore an original Concorde plane and have it back flying by 2019.