Turbojet to hypersonic ramjet: Hybrid Chimera engine shows its range

Atlanta company Hermeus has its sights set on Mach 4 next year, to beat the Mach 3.3 benchmark set by the SR-71 Blackbird way back in 1976. Watch its Chimera hybrid engine nailing the switch between low-speed turbojet mode and hypersonic ramjet mode.

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Tau.Neutrino said:

Turbojet to hypersonic ramjet: Hybrid Chimera engine shows its range

Atlanta company Hermeus has its sights set on Mach 4 next year, to beat the Mach 3.3 benchmark set by the SR-71 Blackbird way back in 1976. Watch its Chimera hybrid engine nailing the switch between low-speed turbojet mode and hypersonic ramjet mode.

more…

It’s not a new idea. Back in 1944 Frank Whittle and the Miles aircraft company were developing the Miles M.52, which was to be the first piloted aircraft to go supersonic. They were a fair way into the programme, when in late 1945 the British government cancelled it. Insane ….
Anyway the engine system they were going to use was a modified Whittle Power Jets W.2/700, it sat inside a large air duct and near the rear of the engine there was an afterburner section that greatly increased the thrust. They calculated that the faster it went, the most trust would be made so whoever was going to pilot it – It was going to be Erik Brown, one of the great test pilots – would have to reduce throttle as it went faster so as to not get parts of the airframe melting.

Here’s a good short documentary on it, including an engine test run.
https://youtu.be/HP6xKxrpBOY