Posted on 06/30/2015 1:54:10 PM PDT by Red Badger
The U.S. military is reportedly developing a hypersonic jet plane that could soar at up to five times the speed of sound — faster than a bullet, which generally travels at Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound.
The new hypersonic vehicle, which could take flight by 2023, builds upon research from a 2013 test flight of an experimental hypersonic vehicle, the X-51A Waverider, according to Military.com.
The $300 million X-51A program began in 2004. The program's final test flight occurred May 1, 2013, when the unmanned Waverider reached a top speed of Mach 5.1 (more than five times the speed of sound) in just over six minutes, before it was intentionally crashed into the Pacific Ocean. At the time, U.S. Air Force officials said the flight was the longest-ever for a hypersonic vehicle of its kind. [Flying Saucers to Mind Control: 7 Declassified Military & CIA Secrets]
During the 2013 test flight, the hypersonic jet was released from a B-52H Stratofortress at an altitude of 50,000 feet (15,000 meters). After separation, the Waverider accelerated to Mach 4.8 in just 26 seconds, powered by a solid rocket booster. The hypersonic jet separated from the rocket at an altitude of 60,000 feet (18,300 m), eventually reaching Mach 5.1 with its air-breathing supersonic combustion ramjet (or scramjet) engine.
"X-51 was really a proof of concept test. It showed that you could get a scram jet engine, launch it off an aircraft and it could go hypersonic," Mica Endsley, the Air Force's chief scientist, told Military.com. "It was able to go more than Mach 5 until it ran out of fuel. It was a very successful test of an airborne hypersonic weapons system."
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Yeah, and apparently the shockwaves coming off that SCRAMjet experimental fixture torched a few holes in the aircraft and they came close to losing the X if they had pushed it further. Sort of like when the Shuttle got torched coming in.
I am pretty sure a head-on intercept is an “easy” target solution (for vastly complex mathematics involved in a target solution). Sharp maneuvers and even the slightest amount of damage would cause it to break up.
Gets a lot harder if your are the Aegis destroyer trying to protect a carrier, though.
The primary advantage would be reaction time. Ships can only guide limited number missiles at a time. By the time one missile goes into terminal homing against these monsters, you won’t have a chance to engage the next. So, if your ship can guild eight missiles, and they launch nine...
The FAI established the edge of space at 100km (62mi) and two X-15 flights exceeded that altitude.
Can you still get one without "Chim-Chim" in the trunk?
Ooh, so would I!
Unless Chim Chim can co drive or run the other sections, I could do with out him.
Here is a documentary on the series. Rather informative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezIQnAVVJYc
Yes, I know Mach 5 is faster, but I was thinking if we have gone from 2200 mph nearly 50 years ago to potential 3300 mph near future, that is not as impressive as it first sounds.
He can’t drive and destroys everything he touches, but he can organize.
I'd think the SCRAM will always stay in air thick enough for aerodynamic control surfaces to have some traction. Do not recall reading what altitude the thing is projected to operate at.
I was thinking of the US using them.
Head on intercept would assume the SAM was near the target.
If not it wouldn’t be a head on intercept.
If these things were fired from a couple hundred miles out there probably wouldn’t be time for a SAM to get on a head-on track.
High altitude launch, sprint to target, then a fairly steep dive, maybe ballistic stage.
HOLY CARP! I’m cracking a beer and watching this.
You’re takin’ me back, FRiend.
Thanks for the link.
You are welcome.
Used to work in TV production and miss the actual production stuff so behind the scenes stuff is always interesting to me.
Been reading about this for 25 years.
I subscribed and liked.
By the time it's fielded, anti-air lasers will be available. And the plasma front on that thing will NOT be stealthy.
“Yes, I know Mach 5 is faster, but I was thinking if we have gone from 2200 mph nearly 50 years ago to potential 3300 mph near future, that is not as impressive as it first sounds.”
Agreed. If you think of aviation and military aircraft capability improvements between 1940 and 1970, and then compare to changes between 1970 and today, I think one word that could describe the situation would be “stagnation.”
This plane would have been hot stuff in 2000, even, but today the Russians already have hypersonic interceptor missiles that are likely to be able to take this plane out. I’d say it’s kind of like one of those cigarette boats from Miami Vice — real fast, real showy, and not much practical use. I hope I’m wrong.
You can bet China is in the process of building the same jet.
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