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.

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.

It's ok, the weapons will be destroyed as soon as they get pushed (because they won't want to leave on their own) in to the air flow, going from 0 to 3000mph instantly. Unless they have thermal protection too.

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.

3000 mph.....wonder what the turning radius for that would be.....as too avoiding missiles by jinking.....oh yeah right!

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

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...

And the size of the nav bag to put your gizmos in!

...actually, unless it flew really high, wouldn't plasma make it pretty useless as a recon or sensor platform?
Hard to see through...

"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!

It's likely wishful thinking by the journos who wrote the story.
The speech refers quite clearly to powerplants only.

O-Dstill are by some .......

And CAS will ensure that no middle-aged white men are involved in the project ........

Hypersonic engines.................... why do you need Pilots ?

Hillier spoke to journos at a roundtable after the event, so most of what he said on the subject is not in the transcript of his speech.

When they can't afford the basics this is madness - another sop to industry

I could do with a hypersonic plane. Lots of doors to fit over the summer.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....70e72d65de.jpg

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...

Hypersonic Flight and Continuous Comms

Anyone up for the latest challenge?

SBIR Solicitation

The current information pack is locked in pre-release :suspect:

IG