Posted on 03/30/2006 6:11:56 AM PST by BenLurkin
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Researchers in Australia's Outback launched a test flight Thursday of a supersonic jet designed to fly 10 times faster than conventional airplanes.
The test flight was conducted by researchers at the University of Queensland under commission from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, in the remote community of Woomera, about 310 miles north of the South Australian state capital, Adelaide.
The so-called Supersonic Combustion Ramjet - or scramjet - engine was designed to travel at speeds of up to 5,000 mph, or 10 times the speed of conventional aircraft, the University of Queensland said in a statement.
"The rocket launch looked as expected. We had another clean liftoff," Prof. Michael Smart said.
Thursday's launch was the second test flight in less than a week, and was intended to generate data about flight performance of a 220-pound scramjet engine with an advanced fuel injector developed by JAXA.
The data will be compared with results of ground tests performed in Japan, the statement said.
The university said it would make an announcement about the results of the experimental flights in the coming weeks.
The U.S. has already carried out a flight test with a scramjet engine, while the European Union, Japan, China, Russia and India are in different stages of testing their technologies.
Some observers say scramjet technologies could revolutionize air travel. Officials at the University of Queensland have said scramjet-powered passenger jets are still a long way off. But it might be possible to use a scramjet-powered plane within the next 10 years for limited purposes, such as delivering vital organs for urgent transplant operations.
WOW! Australia is really pulling ahead. If they can put their million round per minute cannon on this 10X plane they can rule the world.
I'm still thinking the technology could be worked into cruise missiles.
Todays' FR poll quetsion: which environmentally friendly city will be the first to ban the plan from landing/take-offs ?
New York to Tokyo in 2 hours? No thanks! I wouldn't be able to get those 3 fine movies that I can get now.
Yeah that thing would be put on a missles a long time before it sees itself on any passenger carrying craft.
WOW! Deliveries of FOSTER'S fresh in from the outback!.......
or run out of ammunition real fast.
New York to Washington, D.C. in 3 minutes. Of course, you have to get to the airport two hours before the flight, and air traffic control will have you circling for three hours due to congestion. Then again, you would be able to see The Eiffel Tower and The Pyramids while you were circling.
Til now, the noise record goes to the XF-84H "Thunderscreech," an aircraft so noisy it made crewmen on the ramp vomit.
I know of two places...Chappaqua,NY and Martha's Vineyard,MA.
Australia, with 1/30 th population of the United States continues to compete with American technology. Why El Presidente Jorge Bush? Maybe the answer is too simple for you. They don't allow massive illiterate immigration ethnically cleansed by Vincente Fox to provide exceptionally cheap labor for your rich friends. Instead, they make it possible for engineers and scientists to make a living providing innovative technology to do the menial work of society. The Australians benefit overall with a stronger technological base. In the meantime, the illegals kill all incentive and hen we just plain give it to the Indians and Chinese.
This isn't a matter of environment, it is a matter of economics. The fuel efficiency on thing is the question as to whether it is commercially viable.
Trans-continental Organ transplants seem like a pretty rare occurence to have one of these babies just sitting around.
If they can get a reasonable fuel economy and there is enough top-executive demand between Asia and the US, perhaps this will eventually be a top-market option. Until then, it only has military value. Which is also great.
Look up NASA X-43, the Aussie are trying to reinvent the wheel.
Two XF-84H prototypes ... made twelve test flights. Eleven of the twelve flights ended in emergency landings."
Makes me wonder what America is holding up her sleeve in case all hell breaks loose.
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