Aircraft sets world speed record

The Age ^ | 03/28/2004 | The Age

[tomball]

 

Edwards Air Force Base, California
March 28, 2004

The experimental X-43A attached under the right wing of a modified NASA B-52 bomber moments before launch.
Picture: AFP

An experimental X-43 pilotless plane today broke the world speed record for an atmospheric engine, briefly flying at 7,700kph - seven times the speed of sound - over America, NASA said.

The hypersonic aircraft, a cross between a jet and a rocket, was dropped from the wing of a modified B-52 bomber, boosted by an auxiliary rocket to an altitude of nearly 30,000 metres and flew on its own for about six minutes before plunging into the Pacific Ocean, said the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

NASA said the prototype engine was destined to eventually power a new generation of space shuttles.

 
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[Hugin]

kph, not mph.

[Army Air Corps]

Correct. I believe that Lockbox was thinking of knots ( abbreviated as kts). Regardless, it is bloody fast.

[Agnes Heep]

As my wife remarked on our wedding night...

More likely she observed, "It's no biggie, hon."

[glock rocks]

Aircraft sets world speed record

ahem.

American Aircraft Sets World Speed Record

[Bogey78O]

Yes, knots per second would actually be acceleration as a knot is already a speed measurement.

[BulletBobCo]

Would that cross the continental United States in what, about 45 minutes?

Only half a long as it would take to be screened by TSA.

[Falcon4.0]

Combat aircraft have already reached those speeds. Since a projectile looses velocity after it has been fire and jets do not. They have already shot themselves down. History.

[SauronOfMordor]

We are reaching speeds where aircraft will no longer be able to defend themselves or carry out an offensive combat role with conventional ordinance.

Which is why the DoD has been paying so much attention to laser and particle-beam weapons

[Army Air Corps]

Good show, ol' boy! It is a measure of speed that harkens back to the grand old age of sail. Knots tied into a rope at a given distance from one another. Place one end of the rope (with a flange attached thereto to "grip" the water) and count the number of knots that pass in a minute.

[null and void]

Lasers? Ramming?

[EGPWS]

And still, the kids in the back will ask, "Are we there yet?"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!..."Ain't" it the truth?

[Old Student]

"(That which does not kill me had better be able to run away damn fast.)"

Fair warning: I'm stealing that tagline for future use. I will probably forget to attribute it properly when the time comes, so I thought I'd better tell you now.

[FreedomCalls]

There has to be spam in that there can for it to count. You're right.

[EGPWS]

To boldly go where no man has gone before...

We have been there and done it already!

This time Captain Kirk and his famous statement has been overridden by "Scotty"!

[Jorge]

This is really impressive. 7 x the speed of sound!

[Amerigomag]

Ramming?

Good idea but can we trust the Japanese pilots if they aren't defending the homeland?

[Publius6961]

Plunged into the Pacific Ocean?
Please tell me it was unmanned!

[Publius6961]

You got that backwards, dude.
Knots are not kilometers!

[null and void]

The former Soviets developed the doctrine in WWII. IIRC (and I do) one pilot knocked out two German bombers in separate incidents...

[SFConservative]

One knot per hour equals about 1.15 miles per hour

And while we are all jumping on you, there is no such thing as "knot per hour" unless you are using a very unusual measure of acceleration. A knot is already a measure of speed, defined as 1 nautical mile per hour.

1 kt = 1.15 mph = 1.852 kph.