X-43a Last Flights (from Intelgurl)

The last flight of a series of 3 X-43A research missions in NASA's Hyper-X program is planned to fly as soon as the restricted Navy Pacific Ocean test range off the coast of Southern California becomes available, but no earlier than Nov. 8.

The mission is intended to gather data on the operation of the X-43A's revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet (or "scramjet") engine at a record speed of almost 10 times the speed of sound.

As with the first two flights, the third X-43A will be carried aloft by NASA's B-52B launch aircraft from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base. The B-52B "mothership" will release the combined X-43A and Pegasus booster stack at 40,000 feet altitude off the coast of Southern California. The booster will then accelerate the experimental vehicle to nearly Mach 10, or almost 7,000 mph, at approximately 110,000 feet altitude.

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Yes, very interesting!! A news briefing is scheduled for Friday.

www.air-attack.com...

rvfried,
thanks for the post, I'm totally intrigued by this hypersonic aircraft. I know some people on this forum have guessed that the X-43 is actually the aurora but I don't think so.

I am curious about whether the plasma that forms around the leading edges of a hypersonic vehicle such as this makes the aircraft more stealthy - what do you think?

Cool!Hope all goes smooth again.Definately be watching this one.

IMO it is interesting, it's a cool fresh shape and the tech is impressive but it is such a piddly little thing.

When are they going to make a real one?

Nano:

Well I agree with you on the Aurora position. There are a few threads on Plasma Stealth on ATS. Right now there are various positions on the feasibilty of such a system on an operational aircraft.

From what I have gathered, it is a method worth some more research..

Here is an excellent primer/thread from Intelgurl:
Link!

=-Rich

nanobyte - Who thinks this is the Aurora? The only thing those two might have in common is its propulsion (scramjet).

PARALYZ - Why? I watched the last one and it wasn't very impressive, besides the fact they were running an hour behind schedule, all you see is it fall from the B-52 wind and the rocket kicks in and it dessappears pretty quickly, you dont actually see the scramjet kick in, or working, or see any real time info on it.
It just wasn't as cool as I had hoped.

sminkeypinkey - Yeah it's fairly small, but none the less impressive. and there wont be any follow on programs, there was originaly going to be a couple of bigger designs, but all have since been cancelled.

[edit on 1-11-2004 by Murcielago]

Originally posted by Murcielago
[sminkeypinkey - Yeah it fairly small, but none the less impressive. and there wont be any follow on programs, there was originaly going to be a couple of bigger designs, but all have since been cancelled.

- That's a pity.

Perhaps all larger designs have been stoped because there are larger designs already flying/being tested.

Originally posted by Murcielago
nanobyte - Who thinks this is the Aurora? The only thing those two might have in common is its propulsion (scramjet).

My bad, in looking back it's not the X-43 but the Hypersoar some here on ATS have thought was the Aurora, not that it really matters.
Here's the link:
Aurora Project = HyperSoar ?

Semi-off-topic, but the X-43a is tested aboard a Pegasus Booster courtesy of our recent X Prize winners Scaled Composites. Is there anything these guys can't do?

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey

Originally posted by Murcielago
[sminkeypinkey - Yeah it fairly small, but none the less impressive. and there wont be any follow on programs, there was originaly going to be a couple of bigger designs, but all have since been cancelled.

- That's a pity.

I full heartedly agree. I think that a scramjet craft could be the future space shuttle, and I thought Nasa agreed, but then afterd the first one failed they began to reconcider the whole thing. Scramjets can get to mach 15 for sure, but I think it can go faster then that, but even if it cant all you would have to ddo is make it a hybrid and add a rocket to it. But with the cancelation of the X-43B & the X-43C, it looks like Nasa plans on keeping us in the rocket age for some time to come.

X-43A


X-43B


X-43C

The Mach 10 flight has been postponed until at least Nov 15.
www.nasa.gov...