World's First Hypersonic Hydrocarbon-Fueled Scramjet Closer To First Flight

From Aero-News Network:

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Says Recent Ground Tests Simulated Mach 5 Conditions. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne says it is a step closer to flight testing the world's first hypersonic hydrocarbon-fueled and -cooled scramjet engine. The X-51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator-WaveRider (SED-WR) successfully demonstrated key flight clearance objectives in recent ground tests simulating Mach 5 flight conditions. The X-51A SED-WR program is a collaborative effort of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, the US Air Force Research Laboratory, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), NASA and The Boeing Company to demonstrate extended-duration hypersonic flight capability. Ground tests are being conducted at NASA Langley Research Center's 8-foot High Temperature Tunnel in Hampton, VA. "The exceptional operation of the SJX61-2 flight clearance engine and subsystems allows us to move forward to flight with confidence," said Curtis Berger, hypersonics programs director, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. "Engine performance has met or exceeded our predictions throughout the test series." "We're extremely pleased with SJX61-2 test results to date," said Charlie Brink, X-51 program manager, Air Force Research Laboratory. "This engine test is the culmination of several years of hard work to mature the X-51's flight propulsion system and from what we've seen so far -- the system is pretty much ready to go. We have a few items that we're fine-tuning to optimize for flight but, for the most part, the engine is operating just the way we want it to." The X-51 Flight Test Program plans to demonstrate the operation of a scramjet engine within the Mach 4.5 to 6.0-plus range during four flight tests beginning in 2009. The program will set the foundation for several hypersonic applications, including access to space, reconnaissance-strike and global reach.

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