Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Australian Scramjet Launched

Posted by michael on from the lawn-dart dept.

CaptainAlbert writes: "The University of Queensland, Australia is reporting the (possible) success of their "HyShot" scramjet test. The BBC have got this covered too. Apparently, they're now poring over the data loggers, trying to figure out if it actually flew under its own power." We had a story about these guys a while back.

6 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Russians first? by 4im · · Score: 4, Informative

    They say in the BBC article that the US first achieved the supersonic combustion bit a few weeks ago. But, IIRC, the russians tested a ScramJet a while back, also from a rocket - and succeeded. Of course, poor funding probably delayed/cut further research, which is a shame - they're excellent at experimental (vs. theoretical, simulated) research.
    I don't have references, unfortunately... but I'm sure google might provide some...
    And let's not forget, ramjets have been in use for quite a while - again, the russians being in advance on the west, check out their air-to-air missiles.
    Anyone reminded of those supercavitation torpedoes? Yet another area where those "technologically backward" russians are by far more advanced than the west...

    Just how much brainwashing do we get?

    1. Re:Russians first? by Jburkholder · · Score: 2, Informative

      This is correct. When Belenko defected by flying his Foxbat to Japan in 1976, the US got a chance to inspect the plane up close and all of the mis/dis-information about the platform became apparent.

      Interesting thing was that the entire F-15 program was geared towards countering the capabilities of the Foxbat.

  2. Mach 5 Planes??? by Root+Down · · Score: 2, Informative

    Experts say scramjet technology has the potential to reduce the flying time from London to Sydney to two hours, and substantially cut the cost of space launches.
    ...
    But the big problem is that scramjets only start to work at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound, or Mach-5.

    Parte the firste: The idea is put forth in the BBC article that a scramjet could cut down flight times from London to Australia - great when you've got the hankering for an oil can of Foster's.

    Patre the seconde: It is stated that scramjets only work at speeds in excess of Mach 5.

    ... I'm pretty sure that most people would pass out long before the scramjet would even take off - and without the aid of the beverage cart. I can see the use in space launches, but for commercial apps it is likely quite limited for the above reason.

    An aside: If you're into rocket history, there is a recent biography of John Parsons called 'Sex and Rockets'. Parsons was one of the earliest innovators of rockets and solid fuel technologies associated therewith. He was among the handful of people at CalTech who helped take rockets out of science fiction and into reality. Worth the read.

  3. Scramjet facts by alienmole · · Score: 5, Informative
    These articles were light on facts, weren't they? Are they worried people are going to try repeating this at home, with parts scrounged from auto stores??

    A bit of Googling revealed the following:

    From The Ramjet/Scramjet Engine:

    • a scramjet is a kind of ramjet
    • "A ramjet has no moving parts and achieves compression of intake air by the forward speed of the air vehicle. Air entering the intake of a supersonic aircraft is slowed by aerodynamic diffusion created by the inlet and diffuser to velocities comparable to those in a turbojet augmentor. The expansion of hot gases after fuel injection and combustion accelerates the exhaust air to a velocity higher than that at the inlet and creates positive push."
    • "Scramjet is an acronym for Supersonic Combustion Ramjet. The scramjet differs from the ramjet in that combustion takes place at supersonic air velocities through the engine. It is mechanically simple, but vastly more complex aerodynamically than a jet engine. Hydrogen is normally the fuel used."
    Scramjet research seems to be a hot topic in the aerospace world - I saw references to projects underway in the UK, in the US Defense Department, at NASA, and of course Australia, all of which have claimed some or other big advances in the past year or so.

    Finally, here's Scientific American article that gives a bit more technical detail.

  4. Hmmm. Not so bad as you'd think. by dinotrac · · Score: 4, Informative

    Some posters seem to be under the impression that a SCRAMjet/RAMjet powered "plane" would need to spend an hour accelerating to speed in order to keep people from passing out or heaving guts, etc.

    It's not nearly that bad.

    People can generally withstand sustained G forces in the neighborhood of 8 Gs if properly supported. That works out to about 200 miles per hour per second. 5G to ignite the scramjet is about 3800 mph sea level, close enough to use 4000 mph back-of-the-envelope to get 20 seconds to scramjet ignition, maybe 40 seconds to Mach 10.

    A two minute climb should be very endurable.

    The limiting factor is more likely to be power-to-weight ratios than G-forces.

  5. It didn't work by jonhirsch · · Score: 2, Informative

    Apparently it didn't do what it should have after all. http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.phtml?article=2567