Hermeus Company has reached another important milestone inthe development of its hypersonic aircraft by initiating testing of the patented pre-cooler on a Pratt & Whitney F100 jet engine, which will be integrated into the company’s Quarterhorse Mk 2 prototype.
The Hermeus hypersonic aircraft
Hermeus has been optimistic about its strategy to create a hypersonic aircraft to surpass the iconic SR-71 Blackbird. Rather than focusing on a single prototype, the company is developing multiple models, each intended to examine a specific aspect of hypersonic flight.
The Quarterhorse Mk 0, for example, was the first model “not designed to fly” for taxiing tests. This allowed engineers to perform ground evaluations while the Mk 1 was under construction. The Mk 1, although limited to takeoff and landing, allowed flight testing to begin in parallel with the development of the more advanced Mk 2, which is intended to fly at supersonic speeds.
The creation of the Mk 2 involves the construction of an engine with capabilities to handle both supersonic and high hypersonic speeds. A critical aspect of this development is that the engine must be able to handle incoming air at supersonic speeds and reconfigure for hypersonic flight.
Precooler tests
The F100 engine has been equipped with a precooler, tested at Edwards Air Force Base, California, for static testing at sea level. During these tests, air is fed to the engine at supersonic speeds. engine at supersonic speeds and the precooler cools the air intake to prevent melting of engine components and ensure efficient operation at speeds above Mach 2.5.
The data collected from these tests under various load conditions will be instrumental in the development of the Hermeus Chimera turbine-based combined cycle(TBCC) engine. This engine will use a conventional turbine to reach high Mach speeds and will be reconfigured into a stator jet for speeds exceeding Mach 5.
However, when the Quarterhorse Mk 2 takes off, it will not initially exceed Mach 2.5. To achieve higher speeds will require full implementation of the Chimera engine in the Quarterhorse Mk 3.
Engine testing. Source: Hermeus
Hermeus’ chief technology officer and co-founder, stated the following:”By developing a full-range, air-breathing hypersonic engine, we are laying the groundwork for aircraft capable of taking off from a conventional runway and accelerating to hypersonic speeds. No need for rockets or mother planes.”
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Source and photo: Hermeus
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