Experimental aircraft goes hypersonic

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Experimental aircraft goes hypersonic
Ap
Monday, May 06, 2013

AN experimental unmanned aircraft developed for the US Air Force has flown at more than five times the speed of sound in a test off California.

The Air Force said the X-51A WaveRider flew for more than three minutes under power from its exotic scramjet engine and hit a speed of Mach 5.1.

The test on Wednesday marked the fourth and final flight of an X-51A by the Air Force, which has spent $300 million studying scramjet technology that it hopes can be used to deliver strikes around the globe within minutes.

The previous three flights ended in failure or didn't reach the intended speed.

Though the aircraft was designed to reach Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound, program officials were satisfied with its performance in the latest test.


Read more: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=233159

[NYC_SKP]

1. That's quick!

[formercia]

5. Kinetic Energy Weapon

At that velocity, explosives are redundant.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Double the velocity and you quadruple the force of the impact.

Also quadruple the lift and quadruple the drag.

Mach 5 must really leave a mark.

[formercia]

7. I've fired Sabot rounds at near that velocity

and the damage they can cause is spectacular. Most metals vaporize at the temperatures generated.

[oldbanjo]

15. That is 5 times the speed of a sabot round.

[formercia]

16. check your math.

I stand by my comment.

[caraher]

11. Double the speed and you quadruple the *kinetic energy*

Force is something else entirely...

though I'm sure it leaves a big mark either way!

[NYC_SKP]

12. Drat!

I was worried, too, about the correct term!



.

.

[Saving Hawaii]

2. Just wait 'til the HTV-2 stops breaking up in flight.

Mach 20.

[DJ13]

3. ...... and it still wont catch a UFO

Oops, did I say that out loud?

Sorry.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. The technology is not for catching UFOs, duh. Would make a great NY to Australia flight though. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. This thing is a missile...

Ain't it weird that these programs manage to justify their budget on the last test?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. No it is not a missile. It's a test vehicle for a novel engine technology, first example of ScramJet

[bemildred]

17. Indeed, and a very big deal to get it to work like that.

No moving parts. But I hate to think of the fuel bill.

[Ready4Change]

19. 1st scramjet to produce useful thrust, I think?

There have been scramjets before, but only to test supersonic combustion. They were driven to speed, and kept at speed during the entire combustion period, by rockets. I think this was the first to produce positive thrust, taking itself to a higher speed than it's booster rockets delivered.

[Liberalagogo]

8. Meh.

[reACTIONary]

9. Light. Sound. What's the diff? (nt)

[Ready4Change]

18. Thanks!

I hadn't seen these.

[daleo]

10. Hurrah

More ways to kill people faster and from farther away. That never goes wrong.