Fastest Plane Ever

[Chris V]

More of a UAV it seems.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/10/us-military-fastest-plane-falcon

[Rob Silliman]

I have a hard time calling something that has to be launched on a tip of an ICBM - a plane.

It is a hypersonic glider - if it doesn't tumble out of control like the first one did.  And this is the only one left, and if it fails it might be a long time before there is money to try again.

"The HTV-2 is designed to demonstrate the high lift-to-drag aerodynamics and high-temperature materials needed for sustained hypersonic flight, with the goal of validating technology for a vehicle able to reach anywhere in the world in 60 min."

More info at AvLeak - http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a761eec09-c466-47b6-be3c-8998330063fc

[Rob Silliman]

More info on mission profile;

http://www.darpa.mil/Flight%20Overview%20slide--UPDATED%20as%20of%2029%20Jul%2011.html

And - they lost telemetry from the vehicle during the flight. 

[BillOz]

I say we charter a boat, head out to the Kwaj Atoll, and find this toy, bring it back, and make an amusement ride out of it.

[Joe Copalman]

I'll bring sandwiches.

[jslugman]

I've got the saki, rally my place?

[Chris Janes]

So let me get this straight. They will launch this plane via rocket into the edges of space  at a speed of 13,000 MPH or so. then it will glide back to earth. Haven't we essentially been doing this with the Space Shuttle for the last 30 years. By my estimation the Shuttle is 4,000 mph faster. What are they exactly trying to figure out? I would think with the success of the Shuttle and the success of aircraft such as  the SR-71 we should be further ahead than this, I don't know maybe not...

[Dave S.]

From looking at the mission profile for the Falcon, it looks like it will try to fly somewhat horizontally, for a relatively extended period of time, through the upper edges of the atmosphere and also perform some maneuvers.

The Space Shuttle more or less just passes through the upper atmosphere during its re-entry - really just trying to survive the extreme heat - and then uses its aerodynamic surfaces to fly and maneuver in the more benign portions of the lower atmosphere.

[BillOz]

Every new vehicle design has to be tested.  Just because they've been building the 747 for 40 years, doesn't mean the new iteration doesn't have to be tested, and it only goes Mach .88, not Mach 17-20.


This vehicle is nothing like the Space Shuttle.  It was initially designed to be a rapid strike Hypersonic weapon system.  It has new design thermal protection, and the big thing is how does a vehicle act on re-entering the atmosphere.  The shape doesn't matter much in outerspace, but once it has to re-enter the Earth atmosphere, that's when things get hairy with vehicle control and stability.

We are much further along than with the Shuttle and the SR-71, haven't you been out to Groom Lake (aka Area 51) lately.

[Chris Janes]

We are much further along than with the Shuttle and the SR-71, haven't you been out to Groom Lake (aka Area 51) lately.

LOL...No I can honestly say I haven't strolled around out there lately. Are we further a long? What has replaced the SR-71?? Google Maps. The Blackbird could routinely fly across the U.S. in an hour back in the 1960's, Is there anything that does that now? Maybe and we just don't know it. The Brits could fly across the Atlantic to New York in three hours with the Concorde back in the 1970's, do we do that today?  Yes I know there are newer technologies and we are further ahead in many respects in others I'm not so sure.

[Jay Beckman]

There are eyes in the sky of which mere mortals know very little.  I doubt the pace of advancements in the world of the "Key Holes" has lagged much...