U.S. Hypersonic Glider Sets a World Record of Mach 20,
Discussion
The goal may be powered, they claiming a record for unpowered, and if the shuttle speed is measured in Mach surely it must be in an atmosphere? I guess Mach 26 at 400,000ft is probably slower than Mach 20 at whatever altitude HTV-2 achieved it
Interesting concept though, kind of like the "rods from god" idea but ground based.
Interesting concept though, kind of like the "rods from god" idea but ground based.
RizzoTheRat said:
The goal may be powered, they claiming a record for unpowered, and if the shuttle speed is measured in Mach surely it must be in an atmosphere? I guess Mach 26 at 400,000ft is probably slower than Mach 20 at whatever altitude HTV-2 achieved it
Interesting concept though, kind of like the "rods from god" idea but ground based.
At the time the Shuttle is travelling at Mach 20+ it is in the very upper reaches of the atmosphere. It is, in fact, using the atmopshere as a braking medium, slowing the vehicle down to the point where it can be landed on a conventional runway.Interesting concept though, kind of like the "rods from god" idea but ground based.
All re-entering space vehicles will encounter the upper atmosphere at these kinds of speeds. The Apollo Command Modules entered the atmosphere at a theoretical Mach number of around 33.
What is proving a really tough nut to crack is sustained, controlled level flight at these types of extremely high Mach numbers. One of the goals of the X-15 programme back in the 1960s was to conduct research into the aerodynamic and structural problems encounterd at speeds exceeding Mach 6. The fastest ever X-15 flight was Mach 6.7 and it effectively wrote the aircraft off.
The Hypno-Toad said:
Eric Mc said:
Aurora was not hypersonic.
So Eric, you say that like you know Aurora really exists. Does it and has it been retired?I am sure the project DID exist but I have never seen any believable evidence that any real aircraft were built or flown.
From what I have read, Aurora was a high speed, high altitude aircraft with stealth technology. But I have never read that it was intended to be hypersonic.
You can see with the genuine difficulties that hypersonic level flight in the atmosphere creates, building a large, manned operational hypersonic aircraft 20 years ago would not have been possible.
Eric Mc said:
The Hypno-Toad said:
Eric Mc said:
Aurora was not hypersonic.
So Eric, you say that like you know Aurora really exists. Does it and has it been retired?I am sure the project DID exist but I have never seen any believable evidence that any real aircraft were built or flown.
From what I have read, Aurora was a high speed, high altitude aircraft with stealth technology. But I have never read that it was intended to be hypersonic.
You can see with the genuine difficulties that hypersonic level flight in the atmosphere creates, building a large, manned operational hypersonic aircraft 20 years ago would not have been possible.
My thoughts are that if it did exist, it ain't flying now.
What's far more interesting now is what the Americans are doing about manned spaceflight? Is there already a much smaller version of a shuttle like craft under development as some form of secret DoD project?
Hee hee - I bought that when it first came out in 1983. I think the flight deck instrumentation and flight control system has been radically updated since those days.
I would highly recommend "Riding Rockets" by Mike Mullane. It's the best and most honest book to be written about the Shuttle era.
I would highly recommend "Riding Rockets" by Mike Mullane. It's the best and most honest book to be written about the Shuttle era.
Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 5th May 17:43
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