Want to fly at 2,500mph? BAE Systems does and is willing to pay £20m for it

www.telegraph.co.uk ^ | 12:01AM GMT 02 Nov 2015 | By Alan Tovey, Industry Editor

[Red Badger]

Defence giant BAE Systems to buy a stake in Britain's Reaction Engines, which is developing revolutionary SABRE engines for ultra-fast aircraft

How an aircraft fitted with the SABRE engines might look

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hypersonic air travel and cut-price satellite launches will move a step closer when BAE Systems buys a stake in a UK company developing engines able to power aircraft at 2,500mph and into space.

The FTSE 100 group is set to purchase 20pc of Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines for £20.6m, in a deal that will see the defence giant’s expertise applied to research on the privately-held company’s engine, which combines jet and rocket technology

An atist's impression of how the new engine would look in ground tests

[Red Badger]

The potential for this engine is incredible. I feel like we’re in the same position as the people who were the first to consider putting a propeller on an internal combustion engine Nigel Whitehead, BAE Systems

[okie01]

This device can cools hot air from more than 1,000C to -150C in less than 1/100th of a second.

How in hell does it do THAT???!!!

[Moonman62]

The potential for this engine is incredible.

...

Vaporware often has that quality.

[CodeToad]

Apparently with methanol injection through the hydrogen cooler.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Bfl

[PapaBear3625]

The precooler stage uses the liquid hydrogen fuel to stay cool.

[PapaBear3625]

Apparently with methanol injection through the hydrogen cooler.

The methanol is used to prevent ice formation. See link at #6.

[doorgunner69]

You got to wonder at the fuel load required to do all that. The SR-71 was that fast, but needed to tank up as soon as it took off and reached altitude, and not long after a speed run, IIRC.

[Red Badger]

FREON!...........................

[DiogenesLamp]

This device can cools hot air from more than 1,000C to -150C in less than 1/100th of a second.

How in hell does it do THAT???!!!

Probably through a similar process as this.

[chaosagent]

You got to wonder at the fuel load required to do all that. The SR-71 was that fast, but needed to tank up as soon as it took off and reached altitude, and not long after a speed run, IIRC.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The reason the SR-71 had to fuel up soon after take-off was that it took off with only a partial fuel load, both to reduce the stress on the aircraft, and improve (i.e. make possible?) single engine flight in case they lost an engine on take-off.

Which happened more than you might think.