RAF to develop hypersonic planes...(?)
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: The Whyte House
RAF to develop hypersonic planes...(?)
...which could top speeds of more than 3,000mph to dodge missiles
Probably cheaper than F-35, though that ain't saying much.
Probably cheaper than F-35, though that ain't saying much.
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: UK
My understanding, and I am not an engineer, is that the project will look to test cooling of the gas turbine intake air. In turn this will allow the engine to generate more thrust and bridge the gap between various mach speeds, which in turn will allow the use of alternative thrust generators such as ram/scram jets etc. However, hypersonic planes....not for a while!
Joined: Sep 2002
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
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From: Great South East, tired and retired
Devising the software for the bomb-release at 3000mph to hit a specific target will be a little challenge, as will the test flights for the release mechanism.
Anyway, Superman, the Flash and perhaps Iron Man IV will still be able to intercept such aircraft if launched against the Hew Hess Hay.
Anyway, Superman, the Flash and perhaps Iron Man IV will still be able to intercept such aircraft if launched against the Hew Hess Hay.
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 804
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From: UK
Devising the software for the bomb-release at 3000mph to hit a specific target will be a little challenge, as will the test flights for the release mechanism.
Anyway, Superman, the Flash and perhaps Iron Man IV will still be able to intercept such aircraft if launched against the Hew Hess Hay.
Anyway, Superman, the Flash and perhaps Iron Man IV will still be able to intercept such aircraft if launched against the Hew Hess Hay.
In all seriousness, it's good to see reaction engines getting some funding. I thought they'd proved that the pre-cooler works well enough.
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Northamptonshire
Whilst research of any sort is good (rotary wing ideas were scorned in 1923) there might be other ways of countering missiles, if that is really the aim of the exercise.
Has the countering of enemy missiles by more conventional means been exhausted? I thought SEAD technology was still being explored further etc.
If this is just a vanity project, then there are other areas which could use the money and as stated above, safely releasing a weapon at hyper speeds is a challenge - perhaps the idea is to chuck it out backwards or somesuch.
O-D
Has the countering of enemy missiles by more conventional means been exhausted? I thought SEAD technology was still being explored further etc.
If this is just a vanity project, then there are other areas which could use the money and as stated above, safely releasing a weapon at hyper speeds is a challenge - perhaps the idea is to chuck it out backwards or somesuch.
O-D
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,515
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From: A better place.
CAS's speech here.
Only a para on Reaction Engines.
But seems there's substance to the pre-cooler tech, despite the nay-sayers (I'm assuming it's the SABRE concept he's talking about).
Avoiding weapons - at those speeds (hypersonic regime generally being accepted as starting at Mach 5 - or a mile a second - the same speed as the X-15) it'd simply be a case of a vehicle making a slight course adjustment to put you miles away in a comparatively short space of time.
Remember - this has all been done over 50 years ago - admittedly with a different type of power source- and one of those who did it has another historic achievement to his name that we are all celebrating at the moment... Neil Alden Armstrong.
Check out below from around 2.51 - max Q of 1500lbs psi at FL50 before pullup at Mach 6 to 317,000 feet. And all this when cars still had fins...
Yes, the turning radius would be massive, but so was the SR-71's at a tortoise-like Mach 3.
As to releasing weapons - surely the kinetic energy alone of anything of significant weight would be enough to cause mucho damage if released from a vehicle travelling at Mach 5+
The D-21 separated from mother successfully on several occasions - straight up -
- wake vortices are still incredible to watch all these years later.
There was only one nasty collision as far as I am aware.
Again - there's an order of magnitude of difference between M3 and M5 - but wouldn't imagine it's an unsolvable problem.
Many other engineering challenges with travelling so fast - even at great height.
Iconel and other super-alloys might not stand the heat.... ceramics?
Then there's the plasma - say goodbye to high data-rate uplinks and downlinks no doubt.
Much more likely to power a hypersonic missile - than something with a pilot in it.
But we can only hope...
Only a para on Reaction Engines.
But seems there's substance to the pre-cooler tech, despite the nay-sayers (I'm assuming it's the SABRE concept he's talking about).
Avoiding weapons - at those speeds (hypersonic regime generally being accepted as starting at Mach 5 - or a mile a second - the same speed as the X-15) it'd simply be a case of a vehicle making a slight course adjustment to put you miles away in a comparatively short space of time.
Remember - this has all been done over 50 years ago - admittedly with a different type of power source- and one of those who did it has another historic achievement to his name that we are all celebrating at the moment... Neil Alden Armstrong.
Check out below from around 2.51 - max Q of 1500lbs psi at FL50 before pullup at Mach 6 to 317,000 feet. And all this when cars still had fins...
As to releasing weapons - surely the kinetic energy alone of anything of significant weight would be enough to cause mucho damage if released from a vehicle travelling at Mach 5+
The D-21 separated from mother successfully on several occasions - straight up -
There was only one nasty collision as far as I am aware.
Again - there's an order of magnitude of difference between M3 and M5 - but wouldn't imagine it's an unsolvable problem.
Many other engineering challenges with travelling so fast - even at great height.
Iconel and other super-alloys might not stand the heat.... ceramics?
Then there's the plasma - say goodbye to high data-rate uplinks and downlinks no doubt.
Much more likely to power a hypersonic missile - than something with a pilot in it.
But we can only hope...
Last edited by tartare; 18th July 2019 at 07:06.
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 780
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From: East Anglia
"RAF to develop hypersonic planes... (?)". I doubt that an organisation that is incapable of assuring the airworthiness of a fleet of simple gliders and motor gliders will be capable of developing advanced airborne platforms!
Gentleman Aviator
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Teetering Towers - somewhere in the Shires
O-D
still are by some .......
And CAS will ensure that no middle-aged white men are involved in the project ........
(rotary wing ideas were scorned in 1923)
And CAS will ensure that no middle-aged white men are involved in the project ........
Joined: May 2011
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From: Beyond the M25
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,358
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From: NEW YORK
If memory serves, Switzerland keeps its fleet of F-18s carefully throttled, because the aircraft would leave Swiss air space while accelerating to supersonic speed.
Suspect the RAF would similarly run out of UK air space before reaching hypersonic speed, unless perhaps westbound...
Suspect the RAF would similarly run out of UK air space before reaching hypersonic speed, unless perhaps westbound...
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 556
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From: back out to Grasse
Hypersonic Flight and Continuous Comms
Anyone up for the latest challenge?
SBIR Solicitation
The current information pack is locked in pre-release
IG
Anyone up for the latest challenge?
SBIR Solicitation
The current information pack is locked in pre-release
IG