US Air Force plans X-51A Waverider flight trials

摘要

The US Air Force (USAF) is preparing for a series of four flight tests in 2009 and 2010 of the X-51 A Waverider: an air-breathing, hydrocarbon-fuelled vehicle that is expected to fly at up to six times the speed of sound. The last series of ground tests of the X-51A's scramjet engine, built by Pratt & Whitney Rocket-dyne's Space Propulsion division, will take place at NASA Langley Research Center starting in July and will continue for three to four months. Meanwhile, Boeing will build the flight vehicles for the imminent flight tests. The flight tests will mark a major milestone for the development of air-breathing engines that can enable hypersonic flight, which is defined as at least five times the speed of sound.