X-43A

[Hank]

Hello- The third launch of an X-43A scramjet powered airframe is due to occur tommorrow, Tuesday, after todays launch was scrubbed. CNN stated technical problems, NASA said bad weather conditions caused the stand down.
The mission goal is controlled flight at Mach 7 after release from a B-52 carrier aircraft at 40,000 ft.
Hank

[Hank]

Hello- Well, it worked. The X-43A slogged along at Mach 9.6 for about ten seconds before a ten minute glide towards the Pacific. Project director Joel Sitz of Dryden stated that the amount of data gained in those ten seconds equalled years of bench tests, which are measured in milliseconds.
Hank

[yipster]

just saw it on television and calculated the mediteranea is at mach 10 than only 6 minutes away beating the tgv by a long way. it would be a nice idea visiting monte carlo, have coffee at the harbour and be back here (1200 km) within an hour...

[Tom]

into the ocean. it's such a saddening thought, that this thing will be pretty much destroyed on impact, even if not that, still damaged beyond repair i'd imagine.

[Hank]

into the ocean. it's such a saddening thought, that this thing will be pretty much destroyed on impact, even if not that, still damaged beyond repair i'd imagine.

Hello- Yes, Coffee, no doubt the X-43A has been destroyed on impact. There is also no doubt that some Seal Team or another, along with Navy Salvage, is earning their paychecks as we write. The stuff we don't see on the news. Hank

[Bruno Ogorelec]

How many Chinese/Russian/Whatever submarines do you think were in the area when it went down? It would be very valuable wreckage.

I wonder if you have noticed, but Russians seem to be completely absent from the scramjet race. Looks like their technology has veered off in a different direction.

The last I heard, they were into nuclear-heated ramjets. Now, that would be something, wouldn't it? You get that thing up and then if flies at Mach speeds for weeks and months and years...

Next refueling stop in 2008 or so.

[Hank]

Hello- Bruno, Mr. Putin was on the news here this morning to mention that Russia is pursuing a new "nuclear missile using technology no one else is using". No specifics as to whether the technology mentioned was the warhead or the propulsion system. This news release probably in response to certain middle eastern r&d efforts. Hank

[Bruno Ogorelec]

Hello- Bruno, Mr. Putin was on the news here this morning to mention that Russia is pursuing a new "nuclear missile using technology no one else is using". No specifics as to whether the technology mentioned was the warhead or the propulsion system. This news release probably in response to certain middle eastern r&d efforts. Hank

Damn. I don't like that. I hate to see bilions go into weapons systems. But, that has been the way of the world since the man first learned to swing a club...

[Hank]

Hello- Yeah. Weapons research seems to be getting more important to the segment that runs our lives.

I found this link a year or so ago. Another line of investigation that disappeared and has been resurrected.

http://naca.larc.nasa.gov/reports/1957/ ... 56i24a.pdf

There is enough detail in the drawings for someone to cobble together their own Mach 4 vehicle.

Hank

[Bruno Ogorelec]

An impressive little vehicle. Mach 1.7 to Mach 3.8 in 13 seconds. 6g acceleration. A good thing I was not riding it. I'd have weighed almost 1300 pounds. A very large pancake.

[steve]

let's see, 1300 devided by 6 equals... wow!
just kidding Bruno! ;-)

[larry cottrill]

Hello- Yeah. Weapons research seems to be getting more important to the segment that runs our lives.

I found this link a year or so ago. Another line of investigation that disappeared and has been resurrected.

http://naca.larc.nasa.gov/reports/1957/ ... 56i24a.pdf

There is enough detail in the drawings for someone to cobble together their own Mach 4 vehicle.

Hank

Hank, Mark et al -

I still think we need to make an engine that has a bar or grid of aluminum with lye sprayed onto it / through it. Cheap hydrogen, plus some radicals, etc. When I first suggested this, it was pretty much panned, but what would be so weird about this, in a ramjet [or even pulsejet] setup, if the geometry were carefully worked out?

L Cottrill

[Mike Everman]

I think it's fascinating that the vehicle is only 12' long, and weighs 3,000 lb.

I'm curious if the speed attained is ground speed or a multiple of the high altitude speed of sound? If the latter, it would be a very high ground speed indeed.

[Hank]

I think it's fascinating that the vehicle is only 12' long, and weighs 3,000 lb.

I'm curious if the speed attained is ground speed or a multiple of the high altitude speed of sound? If the latter, it would be a very high ground speed indeed.

Good point, Mike. The velocity figures are at altitude in this report.

No, Bruno, I'm not suggesting you ride the thing. Which brings up this question. Has anyone here ever heard of the knucklehead who strapped a brace of sidewinder rockets to his Chevy sedan and ignited them while driving down a two-lane road in Arizona. This happened a few years back.
Hank

[Tom]

I heard about the Dawin award winner who did pretty much the same thing using a take off assist rocket for (I think) a Hercules. Left a 3 metre deep crater in the cliff face where they found him, that is after he left the road and flew for a mile or so...

Tom