Scramjet Plane Set for 7,000 MPH Flight

[Tonio]

http://space.com/missionlaunches/x43a_update_041115.html

Is this kind of speed feasible for commercial passenger flights? Assuming it speeds up gradually to Mach 10, so you don't squish the passengers with the acceleration G-force. Imagine going in Florida in half an hour.

 

[Ken King]

http://space.com/missionlaunches/x43a_update_041115.html

Is this kind of speed feasible for commercial passenger flights? Imagine going in Florida in half an hour.

You thinking Value-Jet? How deep in the Everglades will they be able to plant people now?

 

[ylexot]

It's possible, but I'm not sure it's feasible. A scramjet alone won't work. An aircraft would need some other propulsion device (jet, ramjet, rocket) to get it up to the minimum speed for a scramjet engine.

From what I understand, one of the biggest corporate drivers for this technology is the shipping industry (UPS, FedEx, etc.).

 

[willie]

http://space.com/missionlaunches/x43a_update_041115.html

Is this kind of speed feasible for commercial passenger flights? Assuming it speeds up gradually to Mach 10, so you don't squish the passengers with the acceleration G-force. Imagine going in Florida in half an hour.

At that speed, the first stop would be Argentina.

 

[2ndAmendment]

I am being kinder and gentler and not correcting English mistakes.

 

[tlatchaw]

http://space.com/missionlaunches/x43a_update_041115.html

Is this kind of speed feasible for commercial passenger flights? Assuming it speeds up gradually to Mach 10, so you don't squish the passengers with the acceleration G-force. Imagine going in Florida in half an hour.

Also assuming that it could be made somewhat larger. The test aircraft is 12' long and 5' wide. Sure, it's commercially feasbile - - for Barbie and Ken!

 

[2ndAmendment]

Considering the effort to get a scramjet aircraft to speeds necessary for scramjet flight, flights as short as from BWI to Miami would be too short. BWI to LA, BWI to London, BWI to Honolulu, BWI to Tokyo, sure but I bet it will cost more than the Concorde did.

 

[ylexot]

Considering the effort to get a scramjet aircraft to speeds necessary for scramjet flight, flights as short as from BWI to Miami would be too short. BWI to LA, BWI to London, BWI to Honolulu, BWI to Tokyo, sure but I bet it will cost more than the Concorde did.

Yes, yes, and yes.

 

[MerF]

You thinking Value-Jet? How deep in the Everglades will they be able to plant people now?

Being originally from Florida, I chuckled at this.

This concept SOUNDS neat...but will it succeed?

 

[tlatchaw]

I never heard/read what happened. Did it succeed?

 

[ylexot]

I never heard/read what happened. Did it succeed?

Yesterday's news from NASA:

NASA's third X-43A hypersonic research mission has been scrubbed for today due to technical glitches with X-43A instrumentation. When the issues were addressed, not enough time remained in the launch window. Another flight attempt will be made tomorrow. Tomorrow's launch window for the X-43A/Pegasus combination will be from 2-4 p.m., PST.

 

[ylexot]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A tiny unmanned NASA "scramjet" soared above the Pacific Ocean Tuesday at nearly 10 times the speed of sound, or almost 7,000 mph, in a successful demonstration of a radical new engine technology.

 

[SmallTown]

Wow, and I thought the new Citation corporate jet that goes NY to LA in 3.5 hours was fast