USAF Readies for Hypersonic Missile Test

[SBD-3]

The US Air Force (USAF) is all set to flight-test a hypersonic missile, X-51 WaveRider, with tests scheduled to take place on 22 March 2011.

The 14ft-long X-51 Waverider will be launched from a B-52 bomber flying over the Pacific Ocean Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center Sea Range, and will be rocket-boosted to speeds up to Mach 6.

The flight test is the second of four test flights under the $246.5m Waverider programme, which began in December 2003.

A senior USAF official has confirmed that the X-51 could eventually be turned into a weapon.

The X-51A WaveRider programme is a consortium of the USAF, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and Boeing.


USAF Readies for Hypersonic Missile Test - Air Force Technology

 

[SAUD-404]

This test will pass because they got the technology and they have also tested something like that before

 

[SBD-3]

This test will pass because they got the technology and they have also tested something like that before

not necessarily, their ABL (Airborn Laser) project faced a lot of difficulties. though it also succeeded in couple of tests but USAF have apparently scrapped it

 

[gambit]

The technology has been proven with the XB-70 being the first 'waverider'...

Compression lift - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The basic concept of compression lift is well known; "planing" boats reduce drag by "surfing" on their own bow wake in exactly the same fashion. Using this effect in aircraft is more difficult, however, because the "wake" does not generate until supersonic speeds, and is highly angled. Aircraft have to be carefully shaped to take full advantage of this effect. In addition the angle of the shock waves varies greatly with speed, making it even more difficult to design a craft that gains significant lift over a wide range of speeds.

To date the only potential production aircraft that used compression lift has been the XB-70 in the 1960s, although with the cancellation of the program after only two prototypes had been built, it ended up being a testbed only. The compression lift decreased the induced drag of the XB-70 about 30%.[2] Designs using compression lift, waveriders, remain an interesting possibility for hypersonic vehicle designs, although only testbed models have been flown.

This is now about budgeting, no longer 'proof of concept'.

 

[Kinetic]

Whats the range, speed and cruising altitude?

 

[Jigs]

 

[RazorMC]

The engine existed a long time ago, I think they only needed to work on the control and targetting systems.

See:
Ramjet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The concept is perhaps similar on a missile.

 

[Thomas]

not necessarily, their ABL (Airborn Laser) project faced a lot of difficulties. though it also succeeded in couple of tests but USAF have apparently scrapped it

federal funding died on the ABL but Boeing is putting money from their own pocket into it. There are some problems they are working out that will be invaluable for future high energy weapons designs. The next generation will use a solid state or FEL laser. The current one is a chemical laser that uses large tanks of extremely toxic chemicals.

 

[SBD-3]

federal funding died on the ABL but the boeing is putting money from thier own pocket into it. There are some problems they are working out that will be invaluable for future high energy weapons designs. The next generation will use a solid state or FEL laser. The current one is a chemical laser that uses large tanks of extremely toxic chemicals.

Thanks for this valualble piece of information, . But will it be used in anti balistic role solely as being indicated? cuz if this getts online, the potential seems virutallly limitless, it will not give US a good and efficient Anti balistic capability but also a formidable anti space weapon, anti Ground weapon and even a long range A2A offensive weapon....Damn! thats too much packed in a single punch!

 

[SBD-3]

The engine existed a long time ago, I think they only needed to work on the control and targetting systems.

See:
Ramjet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The concept is perhaps similar on a missile.

Hypersonic capability is rather associated with Scramjet which is a class above what we know as ramjet

 

[nightcrawler]

Thanks for this valualble piece of information, . But will it be used in anti balistic role solely as being indicated? cuz if this getts online, the potential seems virutallly limitless, it will not give US a good and efficient Anti balistic capability but also a formidable anti space weapon, anti Ground weapon and even a long range A2A offensive weapon....Damn! thats too much packed in a single punch!

So plane with the laser is to keep flying all day?? to achieve all this SINGLE punch

 

[Thomas]

So plane with the laser is to keep flying all day?? to achieve all this SINGLE punch

The idea of the ABL was for it to deploy it near world hot spots such as North Korea, Iran, ECT. And there wouldn't be 1 of them flying 24 hours. But a fleet of them rotating on stations. No different then the looking glass planes of the Cold War. And it is not just destroying ballistic missiles in the ascent phase but enemy fighters as well.

 

[SBD-3]

The idea of the ABL was for it to deploy it near world hot spots such as North Korea, Iran, ECT. And there wouldn't be 1 of them flying 24 hours. But a fleet of them rotating on stations. No different then the looking glass planes of the Cold War. And it is not just destroying ballistic missiles in the ascent phase but enemy fighters as well.

But what if boeing completes this project, who will own the intellectual right on this? US DoD or Boeing? and secondly what will be the product target (only DoD I suspect) or will boeing be free to market it to other customers as well i.e. Europeans etc cuz their experience with SE hasn't worked out as well as hoped partially due to restrictions by DoD on export and downgrading

 

[RazorMC]

Hypersonic capability is rather associated with Scramjet which is a class above what we know as ramjet

Oh yes, my mistake.

I am also interested to know that once the program is completed and the X-51 enters production, what will it mean for US allies? Will they have access to this technology or is it going to follow the F-22 example?

 

[poseidon]

The idea of the ABL was for it to deploy it near world hot spots such as North Korea, Iran, ECT. And there wouldn't be 1 of them flying 24 hours. But a fleet of them rotating on stations. No different then the looking glass planes of the Cold War. And it is not just destroying ballistic missiles in the ascent phase but enemy fighters as well.

this would be rather stupid...
i am sure they will find a way to destroy this plane if it keeps flying for 24 hours.. the cost of the plane flying for 24 hours will be mind blowing.