Mach 20! No wonder it fell apart!

[fatmal]

A DARPA test aircraft 'lost significant portions of its outer skin and become uncontrollable after three minutes of sustained mach 20 speed':

 

http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/hypersonic-test-aircraft-pealed-apart-after-3-minutes-of-sustained-mach-20-speed-network.37904/

 

This could get anywhere in the world in less than 60 minutes! A bit faster than most of us go!

 

Mal.

 

 

[turboplanner]

This analysis is good news, and makes sense.

 

The CIA A-12 Oxcart/USAF SR71 Blackbird had a thick titanium skin which was still at around 600 Deg F on the ground after just Mach 3 cruise.

 

So we know the power unit design works, and the skin technology is the next hurdle which I'm sure fertile minds will find a solution to

 

 

[eightyknots]

A DARPA test aircraft 'lost significant portions of its outer skin and become uncontrollable after three minutes of sustained mach 20 speed'. Full story at http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/hypersonic-test-aircraft-pealed-apart-after-3-minutes-sustained-mach-20-speedThis could get anywhere in the world in less than 60 minutes! A bit faster than most of us go!

 

Mal.

Quite a lot faster than eighty knots.

 

 

[facthunter]

Not quite 80 knots. Nev

 

 

[Neil_S]

A DARPA test aircraft 'lost significant portions of its outer skin and become uncontrollable after three minutes of sustained mach 20 speed':http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/hypersonic-test-aircraft-pealed-apart-after-3-minutes-of-sustained-mach-20-speed-network.37904/

This could get anywhere in the world in less than 60 minutes! A bit faster than most of us go!

 

Mal.

OK - I will give way to it in the circuit in my Gazelle then....

 

 

[turboplanner]

It would be a case of "What Gazelle?" Neil, the Oxcart landed so fast it needed an enormous runway. In the finish they'd run it out on to a dry lake and round a big circle.

 

If you go to Google Earth and search for Area 51 the runway complex comes up

 

If you zoom in "Groom Dry Lake" comes up.

 

It's the right runway, RWY 32R

 

I see the other one has crosses on it.

 

 

[Guest pookemon]

It should be flying a much, much wider and higher circuit than the gazelle. :)