Experimental aircraft goes hypersonic [View all]
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.
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