Reaction Engines chases the elusive prospect of a hypersonic fighter jet

LONDON - A hypersonic propulsion company backed by Rolls-Royce, Boeing and BAE Systems has taken a step closer to developing an engine capable of powering combat jets and other aircraft at speeds of up to Mach 5 following tests of two subsystems vital to the success of the design, Andrew Chuter reports for DefenseNews. Continue reading original article.

The Intelligent Aerospace take:

March 17, 2021 - During a series of tests, Reaction Engines’ unique precooler successfully quenched airflow temperatures in excess of 1,000°C (1,800°F) in less than 1/20th of a second. The tests demonstrated the precooler’s ability to successfully cool airflow at speeds significantly in excess of the operational limit of any jet-engine powered aircraft in history. Mach 5 is more than twice as fast as the cruising speed of Concorde and over 50% faster than the SR-71 Blackbird aircraft – the world’s fastest jet-engine powered aircraft.

Related: Reaction Engines testing ammonia as carbon-free aviation fuel

Related: Reaction Engines test validates precooler at hypersonic conditions

Related: NASA marks continued progress on X-59

Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace