ScramJets

Davidth88

So today NASA / USAF will release the results of the Waverider flight recently

It's meant to go Hypersonic ( Mach 6 ).

You know , being a child of the 60's they have been talking about Hypersonic travel since Concorde came out , British Aerospace had plans back in the 70's etc. EADS are now talking about viable hypersonic passenger flights by 2050 .

I know there are huge tech problems to overcome , not least the problem with heat and the friction etc , however wouldn't be wonderful if we could fly to Australia in a couple of hours

I wonder if ( when ) this ever was to happen if it will make the present airliners as relevant as the old sea liners , or like Concorde will remain the preserve of the rich ?

bluecode

I'd say all the tech problems could be ironed out and a hypersonic airliner is entirely plausible. As the child of the sixties myself I know it's possible. The X15 reached Mach 6 back in '67.

But we will always run into the perennial problem of the sonic boom although that too could no doubt be solved.

But I very much doubt the issue of costs can ever be resolved. It killed Concorde in the end and any new hypersonic aircraft will be too expensive to build and fly and there will not be a customer base. Boring but there it is.

Waveriders will no doubt fulfil their military intention very well.

RadioRetro

Bummer.