Japanese supersonic test flight a success

摘要

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully tested an 11.5m/38-ft unmanned subscale prototype of its future Next Generation Supersonic Transport (SST). The aircraft was flown in the Australian outback at Woomera Test Range on Oct. 11, 2005. Test results were positive as the craft reached an altitude of 11 miles, flying for 15 minutes, 22 seconds before coming back down by parachute. The prototype, designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, reached a speed of Mach 1.9. The test comes on the heels of a three-year hiatus prompted by the first experimental flight of a prototype, which failed when the craft prematurely disengaged from its booster rocket and crashed into the desert. The latest test flight, a 10 million dollars (USD) venture, was a crucial step in Japan's plans to field a supersonic transport (SST) aircraft capable of carrying 300 passengers from Tokyo to Los Angeles in about four hours.