May 5, 2013 – A Boeing X-51A WaveRider unmanned
hypersonic vehicle achieved the longest
air-breathing, scramjet-powered hypersonic
flight in history May 1, flying for three and a
half minutes on scramjet power at a top speed of
Mach 5.1. The vehicle flew for a total time of
more than six minutes.
The Boeing X-51 is an unmanned scramjet
demonstration aircraft for hypersonic (Mach 6,
approximately 4,000 miles per hour at altitude)
flight testing. It successfully completed its
first powered flight on May 26, 2010 and also
achieved the longest duration flight at speeds
over Mach 5.
The X-51 is named "WaveRider" because it uses
its shockwaves to add lift. The program is run
as a cooperative effort of the United States Air
Force, DARPA, NASA, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne.
|
|
|