Waverider makes hypersonic history
http://www.gizmag.com/waverider-fourth-test/27382/

It was fourth time lucky for Boeing’s X-51A Waverider, as it blasted into the history books on Monday. The fourth test of the hypersonic drone achieved the longest scramjet-powered hypersonic flight yet, hitting a top speed of Mach 5.1 (2,924 knots, 3,366 mph, 5,417 km/h). Dropped from a B-52H bomber out of Edwards Air Force Base in California, the unmanned craft flew at top speed for three and a half minutes before it made a controlled dive into the Pacific Ocean after six minutes of flight.

more…

3.5 mins. Gee

> Because the scramjet will only work at hypersonic speeds, a solid rocket booster was used to push Waverider to a speed of Mach 4.8 (2,752 knots, 3,168 mph, 5,098 km/h). After the spent booster was jettisoned, the scramjet was ignited and Waverider reached Mach 5.1, which it remained at until its JP-7 jet fuel was exhausted.

From Mach 4.8 to Mach 5.1. Hmm, perhaps they still have a long way to go. I hope this was level or rising flight rather than in a steep dive. Let’s see. Delta V to LEO is at least 9.3 km/s = 33,480 km/h. Yes they still have a long way to go.

mollwollfumble said:

Hmm, perhaps they still have a long way to go. I hope this was level or rising flight rather than in a steep dive. Let’s see. Delta V to LEO is at least 9.3 km/s = 33,480 km/h. Yes they still have a long way to go.

I thought the X-51 was designed for commercial air travel – not for LEO launches?

m5.1 is enough to travel from Melbourne to London in about three hours… seems fast enough.

bourke said:

mollwollfumble said:

Hmm, perhaps they still have a long way to go. I hope this was level or rising flight rather than in a steep dive. Let’s see. Delta V to LEO is at least 9.3 km/s = 33,480 km/h. Yes they still have a long way to go.

I thought the X-51 was designed for commercial air travel – not for LEO launches?

m5.1 is enough to travel from Melbourne to London in about three hours… seems fast enough.

Good point, but not if you need to get to Mach 4.8 by rocket first. Australia NEEDS supersonic passenger aircraft with a range of at least 8,000 km. 10,000 km would be better. Concorde had a maximum range of about 6,300 km.

mollwollfumble said:

bourke said:

mollwollfumble said:

Hmm, perhaps they still have a long way to go. I hope this was level or rising flight rather than in a steep dive. Let’s see. Delta V to LEO is at least 9.3 km/s = 33,480 km/h. Yes they still have a long way to go.

I thought the X-51 was designed for commercial air travel – not for LEO launches?

m5.1 is enough to travel from Melbourne to London in about three hours… seems fast enough.

Good point, but not if you need to get to Mach 4.8 by rocket first. Australia NEEDS supersonic passenger aircraft with a range of at least 8,000 km. 10,000 km would be better. Concorde had a maximum range of about 6,300 km.

so far the only ones that have been able to do it are the british

no one else had made a super sonic passenger aircraft before or since

I’ve heard some anecdote where nasa scientists were shown the concorde and shown how the concorde was created and after being shown said it was more complicated than going to the moon.

my guesses are that the british will the only ones that ever make the next supersonic aircraft

3.5 mins. Gee
—-

You’re always a harsh marker, Bear

dv said:

3.5 mins. Gee
—-

You’re always a harsh marker, Bear

not going to get to near infinity and beyond with 3 min burns :)

Or get from the Pacific to London pronto when the Fireflash has a bomb on board

Baby steps, Bear, baby steps. How far did the Kittyhawk fly?

dv said:

Baby steps, Bear, baby steps. How far did the Kittyhawk fly?

they’ve been making scramjets since 1343. get the feck on with it ..

bourke said:

mollwollfumble said:

Hmm, perhaps they still have a long way to go. I hope this was level or rising flight rather than in a steep dive. Let’s see. Delta V to LEO is at least 9.3 km/s = 33,480 km/h. Yes they still have a long way to go.

I thought the X-51 was designed for commercial air travel – not for LEO launches?

m5.1 is enough to travel from Melbourne to London in about three hours… seems fast enough.

Then you have a 3 hour wait, and cab journey to town, bring back flying boats, maybe a 3 day trip but at least you get to sleep in a hotel bed each night.

bob(from black rock) said:

bourke said:

mollwollfumble said:

Hmm, perhaps they still have a long way to go. I hope this was level or rising flight rather than in a steep dive. Let’s see. Delta V to LEO is at least 9.3 km/s = 33,480 km/h. Yes they still have a long way to go.

I thought the X-51 was designed for commercial air travel – not for LEO launches?

m5.1 is enough to travel from Melbourne to London in about three hours… seems fast enough.

Then you have a 3 hour wait, and cab journey to town, bring back flying boats, maybe a 3 day trip but at least you get to sleep in a hotel bed each night.

Wont have to wait three hours any more as the pressure-cooker-muzzies wont be able to afford tickets…

You might be able to get from Sydney to London in 15 minutes but you’ll still have to get your luggage from the baggage retrieval system at Heathrow.
You’ll still have to angst as the bags go round and disappear and people push and rush to get their bags off the belt which is travelling at 1.5 times the optimal speed for retrieval and slowly the number of pieces of luggage on the belt diminishes and the people disperse and still no sign of yours as your anxiety that is already at high levels rises and rises and the conveyor belt goes round and round with now the same bags on it and still no sign of yours and the angst rises and then you realise that you haven’t even joined the queue for Customs yet…….and the bags go round…….and round………

It would appear, PWM, that you fail to appreciate and savour the finer joys of modern air travel ;-)