China's TMS-10 supersonic demonstrator enters final assembly

China's low-noise supersonic demonstrator TMS-10 from the Tianmushan lab has entered final assembly, with supersonic flight planned before the end of 2026. The aircraft targets a cruise speed of up to Mach 2 and could cut Beijing-Shanghai travel to 30 minutes.

• TMS-10 is a 10-15 seat demonstrator with cruise speed up to Mach 2
• First flight of a 1:18 scale model took place in June 2025
• Aims to cut sonic boom via triplane layout with canard and T-tail
• Passenger version would require a variable-cycle engine