Doughnut contrails. I think I found an important part of the puzzle.

Whilst searching through alot of old stuff (pre 2000) I came across a flight international article that is about Mach 5 and greater flight. (see link).

TextNASA has a "flight experiment" planned for 2001, and has designed a hybrid pulse-detonation air-breather/rocket in conjunction with US company Adroit Systems, which has tested an experimental propulsion tube. Bushnell says that such compressorless engines produce toroidal vortices, but will not comment on strange contrails associated with the "Aurora" - the much-rumoured US military replacement aircraft for the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

www.flightglobal.com...

Its from 1997 ( am amazed its still around) but just read this about pulse detonation engines creating toroidial contrails (read doughnut shaped) and the rapid pulse nature of the detonations - reads very much like the 'sky ripping' reports. But whats more it CONFIRMS such a engine has been flight tested BEFORE the article was written - that means pre1997.

Could it be the black world has again turned up trumps with exotic propulsion ?

Thanks for reading, Dan.

Amazing stuff.

Thanks for posting Dan!

Mr R its no problem at all.

I have been bitten with the 'I wonder' bug. It also adds to my BlackSwift theory that the loflyte model is actually in production and use. A MACH 10 model in 1997 ?? combine that with a PDWE and you have one almighty platform for a recce airframe!



#edited because i put dark instead of black...mega apologise canada for the confusing post!#



[edit on 3-6-2008 by Dan Tanna]

what is the name of this mach 10 model? also what is this darkswift i search and nothing comes up

No name for the mach 10 model... cannot find anything even in way way back articles

Few years ago I saw something in the New Zealand rag 'the herald' with CGI pictures of a very similar to aurora craft pictures with PD engines etc as a NASA release (experimental stuff). I searched and searched the archives but to no avail. Guessing this is what it was but the story I saw was not that long ago.

Wow cool mate

See if you can hunt it down in hard copy (a libary or such like). Seeing that would be awesome.