Thread: Experimental aircraft hits 4500mph!

This is awesome. It's hilarious how they say "wow, you'd be able to go from London to Sydney in two hours" but you'd have to wear a protective suit to stop the squishing. Sounds sweet.

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The X-51A Waverider scramjet was released from a B-52 bomber last week before its engine took it to Mach 6 and it flew autonomously for 200 seconds.

Scramjets work by using oxygen rushing in through the engine at supersonic speeds to ignite hydrogen fuel.

...

The U.S Air Force said the previous record for a hypersonic scramjet burn was 12 seconds.

?We are ecstatic to have accomplished many of the X-51A test points during its first hypersonic mission,? said Charlie Brink, an X-51A program manager with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

?We equate this leap in engine technology as equivalent to the post-World War II jump from propeller-driven aircraft to jet engines,? Mr Brink said.

It'll be interesting, as I'm sure this technology will be applied commercially sometime in our lifetimes... Hopefully soon! Squish free.



Source: Experimental 'scramjet' hits Mach 6 | Mail Online

Wonder whats more interesting the achievement of man kind or the stupid comments on that web site.

Pretty sure Beyond 2000 had a segment about a jet that could do Aus to UK in 2 hours as well. That was like 10 years ago.

Perhaps we're just waiting on this anti-squish suit.

PS. what's with all the mastication during the commentary? Take the twinkies out of your mouth while you're talking.

I thought it must have been because they were heaps high up and he was having trouble breathing?

Originally Posted by grandinferno

I thought it must have been because they were heaps high and he was having trouble breathing?

Fixed.

The squish thing is a nonissue as it's a product of acceleration not velocity. Just shit journalism. Getting to required speeds for scramjet and a plane that doesnt melt itself is the hassle.

Originally Posted by rec

Pretty sure Beyond 2000.

is this show still around? i used to watch it decades ago and loved it.

Beyond 2000 ran from the mid eighties to the mid nineties, then in 1999 there was 1 more season. In 2005 they brought it back as "Beyond Tomorrow" for a few seasons, but it was canned a couple years ago.

Originally Posted by rec

PS. what's with all the mastication during the commentary? Take the twinkies out of your mouth while you're talking.

He'd be on an oxygen mask.

Originally Posted by Knight Of Nih

is this show still around? i used to watch it decades ago and loved it.

you're not old enough to have watched anything "decades" ago Craig