The first X-51A scr
amjet engine demonstrator vehicle arrived at Edwards AFB, Calif., on June 25. It is a static test unit that will be used in ground testing starting July 6 in preparation for the X-51A flight test phase this fall. The X-51A is an Air Force Research Lab-led effort to demonstrate air breathing hypersonic propulsion using a supersonic combustion ramjet built by Pratt & Whitney. This type of propulsion is considered potentially game changing in enabling the design of ultra-fast missiles and strike aircraft to attack time-sensitive targets at great distances or to allow for rapid, reusable space access. Boeing is the lead contractor. The first X-51A flight test is slated for late October in the Point Mugu Sea Range off the coast of southern California. For the flight tests, a B-52H will carry aloft the X-51A air vehicle plus its host rocket booster. Upon release from the B-52, the solid-fueled booster will propel the X-51A to speeds of nearly Mach 5, at which point the scramjet will ignite and propel the X-51A for several minutes more to speeds around Mach 6. (Edwards photo caption by Mike Cassidy)
“Military history shows that the best defense is almost always a maneuvering offense supported by solid logistics. This was true for mechanized land warfare, air combat, and naval operations since World War II. It will also be true as the world veers closer to military conflict in space,” writes Aidan…