In
this Wednesday, May 1, 2013 photo released by the U.S. Air Force, the
X-51A Waverider, carried under the wing of a B-52H Stratofortress
bomber, prepares to launch for its fourth and final flight over the
Pacific Ocean. The X-51A, an experimental, unmanned aircraft developed
for the U.S. Air Force, went hypersonic during a test off the Southern
California coast, traveling at more than 3,000 mph, the Air Force said
Friday. The Air Force has spent $300 million studying scramjet
technology that it hopes can be used to deliver strikes around the globe
within minutes. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Bobbi Zapka)[link]
By W.J. HENNIGAN | Los Angeles Times:
LOS ANGELES — A lightning-quick experimental aircraft made history when it sped more than 3,000 mph above the Pacific Ocean in a test flight, reigniting decades-long efforts to develop a vehicle that could travel faster than a speeding bullet.The unmanned X-51A WaveRider, which resembles a shark-nosed missile, was launched midair Wednesday off the coast near Point Mugu. It sped westward for 240 seconds, reaching Mach 5.1, or more than five times the speed of sound, before plunging into the ocean as planned.
The X-51A, built and tested in Southern California, was powered by an air-breathing engine that has virtually no moving parts. It flew for longer than any other aircraft of its kind and traveled more than 264 miles in little more than six minutes.
A passenger aircraft traveling at that speed could easily fly from Los Angeles to New York in less than an hour...Continue reading...
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