China is moving its next-gen supersonic passenger aircraft research into a more demanding phase, with the TMS-10 low-boom demonstrator now entering final assembly ahead of a planned supersonic test flight by the end of 2026.

Developed by Tianmushan Laboratory, a research institution established with support from Beihang University, the aircraft is designed to test technologies that could eventually enable quieter and more practical supersonic passenger aircraft. The laboratory has already completed aerodynamic wind-tunnel testing, flight-control design and airframe manufacturing.

If the technology eventually makes its way into a larger passenger aircraft, the potential speed advantage would be substantial. Chinese state media reports that a future supersonic aircraft could reduce the Beijing-Shanghai journey to around 30 minutes, compared with approximately two hours on today’s commercial flights.

The TMS-10 project centers on a 10- to 15-seat supersonic business aircraft intended for business travel and high-end tourism. Its aerodynamic configuration has been optimized for cruise speeds up to Mach 2 while also supporting subsonic flight around Mach 0.95.

Furthermore, the TMS-10 is being developed around the idea of combining high-speed performance with lower aerodynamic drag and a substantially reduced sonic boom. A 1:18-scale demonstrator first flew in June 2025 from Dingzhou Airport in Hebei. That flight remained below Mach 0.2 and was primarily used to validate low-speed takeoff and landing, stability, and control, Global Times reports.

Next, the Chinese team plans to push the demonstrator through the sound barrier and conduct sustained supersonic flight while measuring its sonic boom and evaluating its aerodynamic configuration, flight-control system, and integration between the aircraft’s aerodynamics and propulsion system.

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