Posted on 07/20/2010 1:36:55 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
What's faster than a speeding bullet, doesn't require a cape and isn't deterred by kryptonite? It's called the X-51 Waverider...and is the latest creation of Boeing and Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne. This past May it completed the longest hypersonic combustion (scramjet) powered flight in aviation history, reaching a speed of about Mach five, or five times the speed of sound. A scramjet engine is often likened to an air-breathing engine...it has no moving parts, and sucks in air from the atmosphere, rather than using oxidizers or additional fuel. It is new technology engineers say will allow aircraft to fly faster and farther while using less overall fuel. Officials from Boeing and Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne say the future applications are beyond exciting. They range from high speed military operations, commercial flights and improved access to space. Engineers envision cross-country flights from Los Angeles to New York in a mere 45 minutes, and eventually an easier, cheaper and faster method of carrying payloads to and from the space station. The reality is, this is not happening tomorrow. Getting the Waverider to fly right now involves launching it with a rocket from a specially outfitted B-52. During the test in May, it flew for a total of 200 seconds before breaking up. Impressive, to say the least, but still a ways away from carrying passengers across the country. Even still the folks involved in the project are jubilant about their successes. They compare this leap in technology to the jump from the propeller to the jet engine. In fact, the mood over the X-51 is being compared in some respects to the Apollo moon missions in the 1960's.
(Excerpt) Read more at liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com ...
Why, nobody was interested/allowed Concorde to fly anywhere but over the ocean at supersonic speed.
There was American opposition of the Concorde flying over land because of “noise pollution”.Many found that Concorde was quieter than expected, partly due to the pilots temporarily throttling back their engines to reduce noise during overflight of residential areas.
Reagan wanted to do this stuff by the 90’s, but we idiotically canceled the space plane. That pushed us back, I guess, at least 30-40 years.
I TOTALLY agree with. I liked the concept of the spaceplane. Cancelling was the biggest mistake ever.
Canceling the super conducting super collider was just as bad or worse. We would’ve had something far more powerful than the LHC is today over 10 years ago. Clinton did a lot of basic important research cuts (like hussein’s trying to do with Nasa now). I’m not sure if the general population knows or really cares that the democrats are so anti-science, but I sure do.
I agree. I remember when they announced that.
bttt
Sounds like it still needs a little tweaking.
Yes, Dems are anti-science, anti-freedom and anti-American.
It still has some work. When it hit Mach 5, I believe the tracking beacon disappeared
Can you imagine a cruise missile powered by that package?
The X-51 is part of the Prompt Global Strike mission
I agree
I’m still waiting for my automated nuclear powered car driving me to Europe on a freeway under the sea.
What issue of Popular Mechanics was that in ?
It will STILL take 2 hours to get to the airport, 1 hour to check in, another 2 hours to get through 3rd generation screening, and another hour taxiing and sitting on tarmac. Reverse the procedure on landing.
Some progress!
Either that or limit flights to 199 seconds.
Yeah, that one still sticks in my craw.....what a colossal waste of our money.
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