Latest news with #SR-71
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First Flight For Quarterhorse Prototype That Aims To Lead To A Reusable Hypersonic Jet
Aviation startup Hermeus has completed the first flight of its uncrewed Quarterhorse Mk 1, as part of its hypersonic test aircraft project. Hermeus aims to eventually build an uncrewed flight vehicle capable of beating the SR-71's absolute speed record for an air-breathing crewed aircraft — 2,193.2 miles per hour, achieved in 1976 — and then to explore the hypersonic realm, which is defined as anything over Mach 5. These objectives are still a long way off, however, and it appears that Quarterhorse Mk 1 won't explore supersonic flight. Announced today, the Quarterhorse Mk 1 first took to the air last week at Edwards Air Force Base, California, when it 'achieved stable flight and landed smoothly,' according to the company. A video released by Hermeus appears to show a takeoff and then a brief period in the air, followed by it setting down shortly after on the Edwards lakebed. 'Mk 1's flight validated our rapid, iterative approach to airplane development and advanced our mission to radically accelerate aviation,' Hermeus added. Among the byproducts of this approach is the relatively 'rough' external finish of the Mk 1 aircraft. A first flight for the Mk 1 flying prototype had been planned for some time toward the end of 2024. It's unclear why this timeline slipped. The Mk 1 was preceded by a 'dynamic iron bird' test rig, also known as Quarterhorse Mk 0, which you can read more about here. This non-flying prototype was used to validate major aircraft subsystems, including in taxi runs at the Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) in Tullahoma, the project, Hermeus has stressed rapid, iterative development and prototyping. The non-flying Quarterhorse Mk 0 was built in just six months, and all its test objectives were completed in 37 days of testing. Now, with the Mk 1, Hermeus says it went 'from clean sheet to flight-ready' in a little over a year. As part of this effort, the company is building four Quarterhorse aircraft of successively greater complexity and scope. The Mk 1 aircraft flown last week was built to verify takeoff and landing of an uncrewed aircraft in this configuration, and is not apparently planned to trial high-speed flight. It is powered by a General Electric J85 turbojet, as used in the Air Force's T-38 Talon jet trainer, for example. Other aspects of the flight-test program for the Quarterhorse Mk 1 are examining aerodynamics, stability, and control. Testing of the Mk 1 is also intended to validate various subsystems, including propulsion, fuel systems, hydraulics, power, thermal management, avionics, flight software, telemetry, flight termination, and command and control. The Mk 1 will be followed by the Quarterhorse Mk 2, intended to reach supersonic speeds below Mach 3. Currently, the Mk 2, which will be around the same size as an F-16, is in production at Hermeus' headquarters in Atlanta. The company says it should fly before the end of this year. This will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan engine, also used in the F-16. Finally, Quarterhorse Mk 3 will hit speeds beyond Mach 3 and, as Hermeus states, 'demonstrate turbojet-to-ramjet mode transition in flight and break the all-time airspeed record held by the SR-71.' Notably, the Mk 1 that is now embarking on the flight-test program is not the same vehicle as the 'prototype' that Hermeus rolled out in November 2021, as The War Zone reported at the time. This vehicle lacked any obvious flight control surfaces or landing gear, but did feature a functioning engine with afterburner, as seen in the video embedded here. At the heart of the Quarterhorse series will be a so-called turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine. This combines a ramjet or scramjet — optimized for very high speeds — with a more traditional jet turbine, which can be used for takeoff, landing, and other lower-speed portions of flight. You can read more about the specific advantages of a TBCC powerplant in this previous story. As with any high-speed aircraft program, especially one that aims to eventually explore the hypersonic realm, the challenges are great and the potential for failure is high. However, if all goes to plan, Hermeus' Quarterhorse series could feed into the Air Force's broader effort to explore potential future hypersonic and supersonic executive transport aircraft concepts. Beyond that, some of the various technologies that Hermeus is working on could be used in other applications by the U.S. military. In particular, Hermeus has pointed to the potential for its technologies to be used for missions including the transport of time-critical cargo and reconnaissance. For these applications, the company proposes what it describes as a 'mid-size autonomous aircraft.' In the past, the U.S. military has repeatedly shown interest in finding ways to rapidly deliver military cargo around the globe, and there have been persistent references made to a potential future hypersonic and strike reconnaissance aircraft. More modest proposals could see Hermeus providing a testbed for hypersonic technologies or even building surrogate hypersonic targets. Air Force interest in Hermeus' work has already been formalized. Hermeus received $60 million in funding from the Air Force and venture capital firms to support the Quarterhorse flight test program, the company announced in 2021. Hermeus has claimed that its Quarterhorse program is primarily aimed at commercial markets, with the potential of fielding 'the fastest reusable aircraft in the world.' While the idea of resurrecting supersonic passenger travel has long been tempting, it's so far failed to yield any practical hardware and has seen other startups fold. Whether the Quarterhorse series eventually leads to some kind of 'son of Concorde' is highly questionable, but there's no doubt that the military has expressed interest in at least exploring the potential of very high-speed uncrewed aerial vehicles. As well as the promise of performance, Hermeus' approach also reflects Air Force interests in the rapid development of iterative designs, an idea that has been around for a while, but which is now widely seen as critical to ensuring capabilities, and combat mass, especially when it comes to crewed aircraft, drones, and munitions. Hermeus uses the term 'hardware richness' to describe building multiple prototypes in quick succession, which should allow multiple aircraft to complete their full development cycles in a very short time period. If the company is able to master this, it could provide a way of churning out new (uncrewed) aircraft designs as a 'pace not seen in the U.S. since the 1950s.' Clearly, there are very many challenges that lie ahead if Hermeus is to succeed in bringing a reusable hypersonic aircraft to the hardware stage, and doing it quickly. In the meantime, we can now look forward to the first flight of the faster and more capable Quarterhorse Mk 2, planned for later this year. Contact the author: thomas@
India.com
13-05-2025
- India.com
Meet SR-71 Blackbird, world's fastest jet ever built, can fly at the height of..., its built by..., was used during...
Meet SR-71 Blackbird, world's fastest jet ever built, can fly at the height of..., its built by..., was used during... During the height of the Cold War, the United States built a plane so fast and so advanced that even today, decades later, no one has broken its records. This incredible aircraft was the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. First taking to the skies in 1964, the SR-71 was built for high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance missions, meaning it was used to gather crucial information by flying over enemy territory, often so fast and so high that no missile or enemy aircraft could touch it. It could soar to 85,000 feet, far above commercial airliners, and travel at speeds up to 3,530 km/h (Mach 3.2) over three times the speed of sound. The mastermind behind this engineering marvel was Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson, the genius who led the team at Lockheed's Skunk Works, a top-secret division known for creating some of the most revolutionary aircraft in history. What made Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird so unique What made the SR-71 so unique wasn't just how fast it could go, but how long it could maintain that speed. While its Soviet rival, the MiG-25R, could hit similar speeds, it could only do so briefly pushing its engines to the limit and risking damage. In contrast, the Blackbird could cruise comfortably at Mach 3+ for hours, thanks to its powerful Pratt & Whitney J58 engines, which cleverly blended turbojet and ramjet technology. In 1966, the SR-71 officially joined the U.S. Air Force and went on to serve as the backbone of American aerial intelligence for decades. Silent, swift, and sleek, it gathered vital intelligence without ever having to fire a single shot. why the name Blackbird? While the SR-71 Blackbird wasn't truly invisible to radar, it was the first aircraft to be designed with stealth in mind. Engineers gave it a sleek, flat shape and coated it in black radar-absorbing paint, which helped reduce its visibility on enemy radar to about 0.1 square meters roughly the size of a small bird. That's how it earned the name 'Blackbird.' As one military official once put it, 'By the time enemy radars spotted it, it was already gone.' During its service, the SR-71 flew numerous high-risk missions and was targeted by more than 4,000 missiles. Not a single one ever struck it. Its incredible speed, extreme altitude, and carefully planned flight paths made it nearly impossible to catch or shoot down. In total, 32 Blackbirds were built, and while 12 were lost, none were shot down in combat. Most accidents happened during testing or due to mechanical issues. The only recorded fatality was Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed engineer involved in a tragic incident during a test flight. Why did US air force retire SR-71? By 1998, the U.S. Air Force officially retired the SR-71. The reasons? High operational costs, the increasing use of spy satellites, and the rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could do some of the same work, just slower and cheaper. Today, 20 of these legendary aircraft survive and are on display at museums around the world. You can see them at places like the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and even at the American Air Museum in Duxford, England. Even in retirement, the SR-71 still holds the crown as the fastest and most awe-inspiring jet ever built.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Air and Space Expo at Beale AFB June 7-8
Beale Air Force Base invites the community behind the gates this June for its Air and Space Expo — a two-day event packed with air shows, static aircraft displays, STEM exhibits, and a nod to the base's 70-year legacy of flying at the edge of space. Scheduled for June 7-8, this event is the first major air show at Beale since 2018. It's part of the Air Force's Open House program, which encourages bases to welcome their local communities for a look at aviation technology and military life. 'We are just ecstatic to be able to open the doors to Beale Air Force Base and showcase what our airmen do on this base, showcase a little bit of our mission, and display some of America's finest aircraft to the local community,' said Air Force Major Demo, who used his call sign to identify himself. 'It's gonna be a wonderful opportunity to see not only what's stationed here at Beale Air Force Base, but also many other aircraft from the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy — some of the greatest technology this country has to offer will be on this ramp.' During the expo, the skies above Beale will be roaring with aerial demonstrations by military and civilian performers, including the featured act, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, whose elite pilots perform in the Air Force's premier multi-role fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Meanwhile, on the ground, nearly 40 aircraft will be on static display. Attendees can view military aircraft from all over the country and all branches of service, as well as helicopters, warbirds, law enforcement aircraft, and exhibits from organizations like Cal Fire and the Civil Air Patrol. One of the highlights will be the U-2 Dragon Lady — a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft known for its near-space missions and for being extremely difficult to fly. Since the 1950s, the U-2 has played a critical role in providing intelligence for U.S. and allied forces globally. With the ability to reach altitudes above 70,000 feet, the U-2 delivers signals, imagery and electronic intelligence from near-space. Long, glider-like wings allow it to lift heavy sensor payloads. Pilots are required to wear full-pressure suits like those worn by astronauts. 'We chose to call it an air and space expo in celebration of the 70 years that the U-2 and the SR-71…have been flying,' Demo said. 'We're celebrating that legacy and the future of Beale Air Force Base.' The expo is designed to be as educational as it is entertaining. Attendees can visit the STEM hangar for a variety of hands-on, STEM-focused activities, both aircraft-related and otherwise. 'The important thing is to inspire our next generation of folks via STEM to kind of see the potential things they can do,' STEM Director and Captain Grant said. 'When our young people and families come into the STEM space, they're within a different experience.' An estimated 300-400 community volunteers are required to make this event possible. 'We are happy to partner with Beale,' Janie Nall of the Beale Military Liaison Council said. 'Beale has been around in the community…This is part of our culture.' For information on tickets and volunteer opportunities, visit
