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Boeing's X-51 WaveRider Jet Crashes In Mach 6 Attempt

Posted by Soulskill on from the unscheduled-water-landing dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Boeing's experimental hypersonic X-51 WaveRider aircraft crashed today during an attempt to hit Mach 6 while traveling over the Pacific Ocean. The cause of the crash was a faulty control fin, which compromised the test before the Scramjet engine could be lit. A vehicle traveling at Mach 6 (six times the speed of sound) would be able to travel from New York to London in just one hour."

10 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Prediction: by DroolTwist · · Score: 3, Funny

    Looks like they found the offinding piece of hardware.

  2. Worse yet, ... by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...there were no survivors.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
    1. Re:Worse yet, ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      If a plane crashes on the US/Canadian border, where do they bury the survivors?

    2. Re:Worse yet, ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Can you imagine how loud the woooshing would have been had the scramjet enjine been lit?

      Oh the humanity.

  3. Re:I don't think we need to go Mach 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, 640 mph oughta be enough...

  4. Re:What's the hurry? by alienzed · · Score: 3, Funny

    It doesn't matter anyway, they won't let you through security with the warhead you'd need to make that kind of speed worthwhile.

    --
    Never say never. Ah!! I did it again!
  5. Re:Why not build several, perhaps 3, at the time? by Drathos · · Score: 4, Funny

    First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price?

    --
    End of line..
  6. Re:How curious... by couchslug · · Score: 4, Funny

    "It's always a little strange to see the 'New York to London' figure given for something that is fairly clearly intended for blunt-force diplomacy, not passenger travel."

    Lest we forget, US has fought two wars against Britain, which killed thousands more American civilians than any aggressor since.

    The only thing keeping the Brits in their box is DETERRENCE!!

    --
    "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  7. Finally a flight with no screaming infants. by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Funny

    At 6x the speed of sound, no-one can hear your baby scream.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  8. Re:Why not build several, perhaps 3, at the time? by farble1670 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I am guessing they documented the design somewhere so they could probably build additional vehicles in the future if need be.

    you think? or maybe they will have to start from scratch, and see what they can remember from when they built the first four.