US Air Force To Test Hypersonic Plane

[efq]

The US Air Force is planning a key test of an experimental aircraft designed to fly at six times the speed of sound - about 3,600mph.
The unmanned X-51 WaveRider will be dropped from a B-52 bomber and then take a short flight off the Californian coast.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the unmanned X-51 WaveRider is expected to reach Mach 6.
Engineers hope the aircraft sustains its top speed for 300 seconds during the test flight, which will be twice as long as it's gone before.


The aircraft pictured beneath the wing of a B-52. (Picture: US Air Force)

The aircraft is intended to eventually allow the Pentagon to deliver air strikes around the globe within minutes.
In its most recent test last year, the Boeing-designed X-51 fell for about four seconds.
The craft's booster rocket then ignited, but the aircraft failed to separate from the rocket and plunged into the ocean.

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An advance yeah, but a bit OTT for my liking but thoughts?

[xxMATTGxx]

I always find this stuff sort of awesome really.

[efq]

Oh it is awesome, but sometimes I don't like the real advance in "deliver air strikes around the globe within minutes."

Because if in the wrong hands or someone copies it, can be disastrous ?

[xxMATTGxx]

Oh it is awesome, but sometimes I don't like the real advance in "deliver air strikes around the globe within minutes."

Because if in the wrong hands or someone copies it, can be disastrous ?

I guess I can see where you are coming from in regards of that

[dirrty]

sweet! hopefully it'd be put to different uses though (not that i can name any off head).

[GommeInc]

Oh it is awesome, but sometimes I don't like the real advance in "deliver air strikes around the globe within minutes."

Because if in the wrong hands or someone copies it, can be disastrous ?

Indeed, it's like using advanced robotics in the battlefield. Yes it means limited casualities, but it seems like a country would happily go to war quickly with less time to think through alternative means. Similar to the US and their use of drones.

Saying that, this does look impressiv from a scientific point of view.

[Mathew]

Heard about this on the radio earlier this morning... very impressive machine. Now if only we could bring something like Concorde back and begin to actually progress in passenger air-travel...!!

[Munex]

I did some calculations (I feel quite smart atm) and worked out that this plane would travel a full lap of Earth's equator in under 7 hours. Pretty quick.

Edit: I have no idea if the rotation of the Earth will shorten/lengthen the speed to circle the earth!? I didn't think of that until now, and now my head is hurting.

[Matt]

I think that's great and would come in extremely useful (if they can get it to work) however would have catastrophic effects if in the wrong hands.

[xxMATTGxx]

Heard about this on the radio earlier this morning... very impressive machine. Now if only we could bring something like Concorde back and begin to actually progress in passenger air-travel...!!

Unfortunately that won't happen unless running the aircraft is cheap or on the same amount as the current aircraft on sale at the moment. Concorde was an amazing aircraft and It is such a shame it was retired in the end but it also didn't help when the manufacturer stopped making the parts of it and the running of it wasn't exactly cheap.

So progress in the air-travel still does happen by the newer aircraft being designed such as the Boeing 787 which gives airlines more fuel efficient and comfort for the passengers and also gives them capacity on their routes.