NASA Tests Hypersonic Blackswift

NASA Tests Hypersonic Blackswift

www.foxnews.com

"Blackswift was previously rumored to be a super secret hypersonic scramjet-based aircraft co-named HTV-3X, essentially a 21st century version of the SR-71. Today NASA has unveiled the real Blackswift (video link), which uses pulse detonation engines (PDEs). A PDE is essentially a modern version of the old V-1 buzz bomb engine. This engine requires significantly fewer moving parts and achieves much higher efficiency than a turbofan, and is technically able to go hypersonic without any kind of

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
science.slashdot.org

Saw this linked on Slashdot. Video story.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Is it just me - or does the blackswift look remarkably like the artist's interpretations of the aurora?

Aurora:
robocat.users.btopenworld.com...

Blackswitft:
farm3.static.flickr.com...

Edit to add: No, I'm pretty sure these are the same craft. If you can, get both up in separate windows right next to each other. It's similarities are remarkable.

[edit on 27-6-2008 by memoir]

WOW,excellent find,is that the real plane shown flying or cgi?That very well could be the famed 'Aurora' craft.I can't believe this isn't getting more attention as this is public disclosure of a working pulse detonation aircraft.Unless I understood the article and clip wrong.

As far I understood its just a CGI

blog.wired.com...

[edit on 27-6-2008 by blackcube]

reply to post by memoir


No they are not the same... clear differences... Its like evolution you have to edit to make it perfect for its enviornment.. you can only design a plane soo many ways to get it into the air.

Lol. That fox news anchor is so incredibly thick...

"Check that out, look at it take off, it was like, GONE!"
... it was just explained that he was watching a CG representation of it... not the actual thing.

"It doesn't just burn its fuel, it blows itself up for greater propulsion"
... Oh man, it's a good thing he's not a spokesman.

"take off, fly at 6 times the speed of sound, AND then come home again?"
I would have told him, no, you gotta ditch the aircraft, we forgot the steering wheel... lol.

And his comment about, tell me this in English, not in like, uh, science... I can't believe they let him cover that story.


The blond girl not covering the story said the most intelligent thing in the whole news brief... she took the time to calculate how far you could go in 20 minutes... and said it coherently. SHE should have been covering the story.


Anyhow, it is a nice aircraft. I'd be interested in learning how they accurately time the pulses in the engine... at higher altitudes, forcing gases becomes a bit more unreliable that at sea level.
So where's the footage of its actual test flight?


Memoir. No, I don't think that's the Aurora, that would be like calling the SAAB Griphen and the EF2000 Typhoon the same aircraft. Similar idea, but nothing alike.
But you are right though, allot of concepts were certainly traded for this design.

[edit on 27-6-2008 by johnsky]

[edit on 27-6-2008 by johnsky]

That Fake News anchor is a complete "tool". Where did this guy get his journalism skills from? The school of "Napoleon Dynamite"! Jeez. They should have had a technical journalist asking questions.I thought Popular Mechanics actually had this on their front cover several years back.It looks like the conceived pictures of the Aurora to me.

reply to post by johnsky

No, I don't think that's the Aurora,

Why would this not be the Aurora? I think it obviously is. The government claimed that the "Aurora" project was discontinued, although that doesn't mean they could have continued the project under a different name and scope. All the Aurora was, was a hypersonic aircraft that used PDE and looked very similar to this aircraft.

We know they have been using the Pulse Detonation technology because it's been causing fake very small "earthquakes" for some time now.

All signs point to this being the Aurora craft, just maybe changed around a little...

[edit on 27-6-2008 by Azurus]

I've been waiting for an announcement like this for years. The SR71 was 1950's technology...and it was darned good. I can't for the life of me think that we haven't improved upon that same technology in 40+ years.

So to see this "Blackswift" tested and see it in the media tells me that we've had it operational for a few years now.

did anyone notice at about 1:01 seconds left when the spokesman says "much like the space shuttle..um..the existing space shuttle"? I wonder if he's hinting at a new type of shuttle soon being born?

"Pulse detonation" is a cover-up story. They aren't going to tell the real secret. The actual technology is a "MHD bypass" that enables the use of a turbofan engine at much higher altitude and speeds than normally possible. The Russians tested it with their AJAX project. See also Implementation of magnetohydrodynamic energy bypass process for hypersonic vehicles.

reply to post by nablator


the Russians had first tested MHD on AYAKS aerospace vehicle in late 70's
capable of propelling it to Mach 50 ..

reply to post by manson_322

Yes, that's the Russian spelling for AJAX. Mach 50??? That's more than enough to send it to Mars!

You mean the same engines designed by the NASA scientist ??

MHD inlet slows mach 10 + air down to mach 3, and a MHD outlet speeds it back up to mach 12 - 20...

means a normal mach 3 jet can propel a craft up to mach 10. very sweet stuff.

Originally posted by nablator
reply to post by manson_322

 

Yes, that's the Russian spelling for AJAX. Mach 50??? That's more than enough to send it to Mars!

yes, according to former Soviet Colonel Ivan Krutov , a member of the Siet,
soviets were first to develop MHD craft

p.s. rumors are that Siet was in control of Soviet black projects

from what i know USA inveasts in pde , while USSR invested in MHD

[edit on 27-6-2008 by manson_322]

[edit on 27-6-2008 by manson_322]

reply to post by manson_322

So you buy this PDE? Is there any evidence other than government desinformation that it exists? I doubt it. The MHD bypass is real OTOH, at mach 10-12.

Originally posted by nablator
reply to post by manson_322

 

So you buy this PDE? Is there any evidence other than government desinformation that it exists? I doubt it. The MHD bypass is real OTOH, at mach 10-12.

well not necessarily , as americans had purchased some MHD tech from Russia after SU collapse and may have used to upgrade Aurora to MHD like MHD AYAKS

Actually I think it is pretty common knowledge that the Russians have been working with scram jets for quite a while.While the U.S. concentrated on things such as laser technology...which has been put into production for use on Air Force planes just as recent as 6 months.At least thats the story they tell us.I am sure both countries declassify their stuff only when it is about 20-30 year old technology. I would say the Russians are ahead of us in this particular field of technology. I came across this in case anyone is interested.

www.americanantigravity.com...

imho it speaks volumes that this info was made public, for that says to me,at least, that we have had hypersonic craft in the military for at least 20 years+. i have seen contrails appear in the sky that looked like donuts on a rope, and you could not see what made them, but have heard this weird thrumming noise as they appeared.

now what pops out of the rabbit hole next?


seeker