How fast should a plane cross the Atlantic? When Charles Lindbergh did it in 1927, it took him, via the Spirit of St. Louis, 33 hours, 30 minutes, 29.8 seconds. Direct flights on large jets today last around six and a half hours. The (now defunct) supersonic Concorde could do it in three and a half hours. Now, a new concept plane, sketched out by Canadian engineer and inventor, Charles Bombardier, can theoretically cross the pond in just over 40 minutes. Presented in Canada's The Globe and Mail, Bombardiers Skreemr is a concept hypersonic airliner.

To get to full speed, the Skreemr would combine three fast technologies: rockets, scramjets, and magnetic rails. First, the plane would accelerate along a special runway, much like this sled is hurtled from an aircraft carrier into the sea by an electromagnetic catapult.