Airbus’s parent company EADS just unveiled the Zehst concept plane at the Paris Air Show today and it is seemingly stealing the show in a big way — and it’s not going to be here for another 40 years. The Zero Emission Hypersonic Transportation is being called “The Hypersonic Heir To Concorde.” Where in the ’60s-era Concorde did London to NYC in 3.5 hours, the Zehst can theoretically do it in just 90 minutes while emitting just water vapor and not causing a window-shattering sonic bomb.

The crazy Mach 4 speeds are achieved through a three stage process. Conventional jet engines are used to allow the plane to takeoff from a normal airport runway and avoid the Concorde’s hated sonic boom. Once at the appropriate altitude, rocket engines would propel the aircraft even higher and faster allowing for the ramjet engines to takeover. These engines, which cannot be used from a standstill, are normally used for missiles and would, at least in theory, allow 100 passengers and crew to hit a cruising speed of 3,125 MPH six miles above the Earth.

This would allow for a London to southern Spain flight of just 20 minutes. London to Istanbul would take 30. London to Tokyo? A mere 2 hours.

The plane is said to be fueled by seaweed-made biofuel, which is comprised of just hydrogen and oxygen and emits just water vapor. The Zehst is just a concept but one that’s been in the works for a while.

Jean Botti, innovation and technology director at EADS, [via The Daily Mail]

‘‘It is not a Concorde but it looks like a Concorde, showing that aerodynamics of the 1960s were already very smart.

The plane would fly just above the atmosphere, meaning it could fly at more than 3,000mph.

When you are above the atmosphere nobody hears anything. We’ve been working on this project for long enough now to know it is viable.

The plane is still a few years away — 40 years, really. That is of course if the suits or bean counters at EADS don’t kill the project before hand due to cost, limited market, competition, global recession, or the development of instant teleportation. What they should do is drag the Concorde’s engineers out of retirement, replace their slide rules with a server farm and have them develop the damn thing. If they could build the Concorde without the aid of computer design and virtual testing way back in the ’50s and ’60s, they could probably pump this thing out by Christmas 2011.

[Photo EADS, Getty Images]

Airbus is now using the same carbon fiber material in the wings of its new A400M military aircraft. The reduced weight of the wings “cuts the fuel consumption by at least 20%," said Dave Phipps, head of the Airbus carbon fiber research department.

"It’s a revolutionary technology. It is so much lighter, and yet just as strong and just as safe," Phipps told BBC News. The A400M planes will replace current C-130 planes currently in use in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first A400M will be shown in Seville, Spain today but the planes won’t take flight until later this summer.

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus will use hydrogen fuel cells to augment its internal electrical system on its A320. Since it’s a fuel cell, the only waste product will be water, which in turn will be used for the plane’s own ends. The generated water means aircraft won’t have to take additional water with them, thereby lowering weight and saving fuel.

/me waits for “wasn’t the Hindenburg using hydrogen?” jokes.

Airbus Develops Fuel Cells For In-flight Power [DailyTech]

What is it with Japan and whaling? There’s been plenty of international consternation over the country’s continued whaling policies but Japan, from what I’ve read, hasn’t been particularly cooperative. That’s where the tech comes in.

Australia has deployed an AirBus A319 that’s loaded with specialized imaging and surveillance equipment to keep an eye out for Japanese whaling ships. According to what I just read on Wikipedia, Japan claims to be all about whaling for scientific purposes, but countries like Australia and the U.S. don’t believe it for a second. A deal was struck recently whereby the Japanese would knock it off, hence the high-tech approach to getting Japan to stop.

Drudge’s headline tells it all: Flying robot to track whales off Australia…

Spy v spy as Airbus joins the fight against whaling [The Sydney Morning Herald via Drudge]

You know, for all the cool gadgets and accouterments your place has, I sincerely doubt it’s anything compared to this Saudi Prince’s. Airbus said yesterday that it will outfit one of its A380 jets for Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The “flying mansion,” as it’s known, costs some $300 million and comes with a free coffee maker. (Those princes love their joe!)

The plane is big: each wing can hold 70 cars and is as tall as a seven-story building; my apartment fits a bed and an iMac.

Whoever said money doesn’t buy happiness? I’d be plenty happy flying through the air drinking martinis and placing bets on thoroughbred horses, then stopping off at Côte d’Azur to gamble away hundreds of millions of dollars. Plenty happy.

Saudi Prince Buying ‘Flying Palace’ Jet [AP/Breitbart]

Cell phones on a plane!: Airbus gets approval in Europe [WirelessInfo]