Hypersonic jet WaveRider is being prepared for a second test flight as it seeks to reach Mach 6.

Engineers working on the project hope the plane can reach speeds of more than 4,300mph over the Pacific Ocean.

If successful, the test could user in an era of hypersonic travel, cutting journey times from London to New York to as little as an hour.

However, an earlier incarnation of WaveRider failed to reach top speed.

In June last year the test plane reached Mach 5 before disintegrating over the Pacific.

The project is being led by Boeing and is initially focussed on missile technology.

However, should it be successful, designers are predicting a replacement for the supersonic Concorde, which ‘only’ travelled at Mach 2, could finally be in the offering.