TYPE: Supersonic airliner.

PROGRAMME: Continues towards development of future supersonic transport for service entry in 2015 to 2020 time frame. Design begun as indigenous project in 1997 by National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan; first test flight attempted in 2002, using subscale model launched by solid-fuel booster rocket, but failed when model detached prematurely and crashed. Agreement signed with EADS 14 June 2005 for three-year. USD5.4 million joint development research into 300-passenger SST able to fly from New York to Tokyo in 6 hours.
Second rocket-boosted test flight, with 11.5 m (37.7 ft) long unpowered model, made from Woomera Test Range in Australia 10 October 2005, was successful. Model separated from rocket at about 18,000 m (59,050 ft) and glide-flew at M1.9 to M2.0 for 15 minutes 22 seconds before descending by parachute.