Integrated Hypersonics Program - Creating a New Hypersonic Aircraft

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In the US, they are working on the creation of an aircraft that can fly at a speed of 20 times the speed of sound. Military theorists believe that the use of hypersonic technology in combat aircraft can make a revolution, which at one time made the technology "Stealth". In addition to speeds of greater or equal speeds in 5 Mach, hypersonic aircraft will be able to perform maneuvers using aerodynamic forces, as well as plan for a longer distance than traditional aircraft, as the planning process in this case becomes "dynamic." Active attempts to create full-fledged hypersonic aircraft have been made for almost 50 years (in the USSR, it was the Spiral project), but so far there has been no real success in this direction.

Known for its generally futuristic projects, the United States Agency for Advanced Defense Science and Technology (DARPA) had already failed the test flights of the HTV-2 unmanned aerial vehicle Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle twice a year before last. Both times this drone made an "unplanned controlled descent into the ocean."

Hypersonic airframe called HTV-2 - Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle, developed and tested by renowned company Lockheed Martin under the auspices of the Pentagon Advanced Research Programs DARPA, was designed to move in the upper atmosphere at a speed that would exceed speed sound in 20 times. The first tests of this unit began on April 22 2010 in the United States at the Vanderberg Air Force Base, located in California. The Minotaur IV launch vehicle successfully brought the test apparatus to the calculated point, after which the hypersonic glider separated from the rocket and set off on its own independent flight.
Integrated Hypersonics Program - Creating a New Hypersonic Aircraft
Soviet project of the hypersonic plane "Spiral"

During the test flight, the HTV-2 was to be controlled by the autopilot and perform a series of maneuvers, such as turns, rotation, and others. However, after 10 minutes from the beginning of the independent flight of this unit, all ground tracking stations and control satellites initially lost the telemetry signal from the HTV-2, and later the connection with the aircraft was completely lost.

After losing the connection, the device was still in the air for about half an hour, having covered the distance in 6 500 km during this time. After which the test Falcon HTV-2 fell into the sea and drowned. The causes of the accident apparatus remained unexplained. The accident with the Falcon HTV-2 aircraft jeopardized the second stage of testing that was supposed to take place in the 2011 year, but the tests did take place.

Strangely enough, the second Falcon HTV-2 aircraft, which was sent on an 11 flight in August 2011, reiterated the fate of its predecessor, albeit with some differences. As in 2010, the launch was carried out from the US Air Force Base Vanderbeng. The delivery of the device to a low near-earth orbit took place without incident, after which it separated from the launch vehicle and began a downhill descent to the earth's surface. At this time, the device was supposed to exceed the speed of sound in 22. The total flight time should have been about 30 minutes, during which time the unit should have traveled 6600 km from the separation point from the Minotaur IV rocket.
HTV-2 - Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle

After the first unsuccessful tests in 2010, thorough studies were carried out, which included studies of the shape of the apparatus in the wind tunnel. Upon completion of these tests, a number of changes were made to the design of the HTV-2 hypersonic glider, which were designed to ensure a reduction in the thermal load on the body of the device and flight stability. However, it appears that the measures taken were not enough. With 9, with a few minutes of independent flight, communication with the hypersonic device was lost. As a year earlier, the device completed its flight as well as its predecessor.

Despite another setback, the agency DARPA tried to present everything that happened on the positive side. Agency Director Regina Dugen said that DARPA will learn from its mistakes and will not stop developing in this direction. The following tests, which DARPA organized on November 18 on 2011, were more successful than the previous ones. Then a new planning hypersonic combat unit AHW - Advanced Hypersonic Weapon or "Advanced Hypersonic weapon”Made a flight and, in 30 minutes, traveled 3 500 km. Along a non-ballistic trajectory, planning to a calculated point not far from Kwajalein Atoll on the Marshall Islands.

At present, the Pentagon’s promising research programs are continuing to work on creating hypersonic weapons and aircraft systems that are capable of reaching any point on the globe in an hour of flight. Not so long ago, the agency announced the launch of the next project under the Integrated Hypersonics program. This program will be based on the experiments and the result of all previous tests and studies. The project involves the creation of a hypersonic X-plane - HX hypersonic aircraft, which should be prepared for testing in the 2016 year.
HTV-2 - Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle

In a published press release entitled “Hypersonics - The New Stealth,” DARPA reports that new hypersonic speed flights will be the technology that fundamentally “changes all the rules of the game” in the field aviationthat have been formed over the past few decades. At the same time, the Integrated Hypersonics program description and the press release issued by DARPA contain an insignificant amount of technical data related to the promising HX aircraft. But even in these documents, attention can be paid to the phrases: "rocket engine, the use of which will help to ensure high maneuverability in hypersonic flights", "self-healing design of the next generation."

Such scant information presented leaves a large number of questions unanswered, especially if we take into account the not very positive experience that Americans have already received when trying to implement the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle project (HTV-2). It should be noted that the technical implementation of the Hypersonic X-plane - HX project will encounter even more difficulties, primarily technical ones, than the implementation of HTV-2 projects. The main difficulty lies in the fact that any aircraft that moves in the air at a speed of about 24 thousand km / h is exposed to the strongest thermal effects. The surface temperature of the apparatus can reach 2000 degrees Celsius.

Currently, after a not quite successful test series, the DARPA agency plans for a relatively new hypersonic HX aircraft seem very fantastic, and before the HX aircraft can go to the field at a speed 20 times faster than the speed of sound, it will take quite a long time . In order to proceed to the first stage of the implementation of the Integrated Hypersonics program, the Agency for Advanced Defense Science and Technology plans on August 14 2012 to hold a press conference at which some details about the technical component of the project will be announced. Also within the framework of the conference it is planned to hear presentations from representatives of leading manufacturers of space technology, who will share their options for developing a new hypersonic aircraft.

Information sources:

-http: //www.dailytechinfo.org/military/3798-programma-integrated-hypersonics-sozdanie-novogo-giperzvukovogo-samoleta-sposobnogo-letat-so-skorostyu-20-max.html
- http://www.tm-magazin.ru/news/150/3134/
-http: //www.dailytechinfo.org/space/1256-ispytatelnyj-polet-giperzvukovogo-planera-falcon-htv-2-zakonchilsya-katastrofoj.html
-http: //www.dailytechinfo.org/military/2748-vtoroy-zapusk-giperzvukovogo-apparata-falcon-htv-2-tak-zhe-zakonchilsya-neudachey.html
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22 comments
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  1. 0
    4 August 2012 09: 42
    I wish the Americans every possible failure in this matter. What else to say?!
    Maybe some kind of aerosol can be released into the atmosphere or something that would contribute to an additional very intense heating ?!
    1. 0
      6 August 2012 09: 39
      It's "funny" that in equal measure (according to the responses to my comment) there are people here for and against the success of the United States in the field of weapons ... However ...
  2. +4
    4 August 2012 10: 27
    Ours would be to show such zeal now, to leave behind us in this direction amers. And generally plug them in the belt.
    1. 755962
      +2
      4 August 2012 17: 22
      Quote: Delink
      Ours would be such a zeal now

      Hypersonic dispersal aircraft (GSR) "50-50".

      If you want to know much more about both the unique project Spiral, EPOS and BOR, and about other aerospace systems, you should read our book (see the cover on the left): V. Lukashevich, I. Afanasyev, "Space Wings ", M.: OOO" LenTa wanderings ", 2009. - 496s.: Ill. To date, this is not only the most complete story about "Spiral", but also an encyclopedic story about dozens of foreign projects. This is how it is said in the book's annotation:
      "The book is devoted to the stage of the emergence and development of cruise missile-space systems, which were born at the" junction of three elements "- aviation, rocket technology and astronautics, and incorporated not only the design features of these types of technology, but also the whole heap of accompanying technical and military -political problems.
      The history of the creation of the world's aerospace vehicles is described in detail - from the first aircraft with rocket engines during World War II to the start of the Space Shuttle (USA) and Energia-Buran (USSR) programs.

      http://www.buran.ru/htm/gsr.htm
      1. bamboo
        +1
        4 August 2012 19: 17
        I agree to all 100% !!!
        but I can’t joke)))
        02 !!! militia / police)))) who gathered to catch?))) and on a world scale !!!))) laughing soldier
        1. 755962
          0
          4 August 2012 20: 06
          Quote: bambu
          but I can’t joke)))

          For one it is ++++++ No kidding nilzyayayaya! drinks soldier
      2. Protey
        0
        7 August 2012 20: 44
        It seems to me that a reusable spacecraft that allows you to enter orbit and then land (Spiral, Buran, and our other projects) and hypersonic aircraft making a long flight over a long distance in the upper atmosphere are not the same thing. And I can draw a lot of such pictures for you, therefore, to recognize such projects with red stars for achievements - just modesty does not allow.
  3. iSpoiler
    -1
    4 August 2012 10: 34
    When will lasers come up with combat lasers .... ??
    Not just wondering what the United States was doing ..
    They have been talking about lasers for at least a century ... they can also destroy missiles, planes, tanks, ships, and shells are not needed .... electricity alone ..
    1. +1
      4 August 2012 20: 36
      Daniel, you need to carry the whole power station with you for this. Sincerely
    2. Protey
      0
      7 August 2012 20: 46
      Lasers appeared half a century ago!
  4. 0
    4 August 2012 11: 33
    The United States, despite the failure at first, is actively continuing to develop in their chosen direction. The stubbornness with which they are moving towards the intended milestone - by the year 15 to create a missile defense system, and by the year 16 hypersonic shock systems should have been alerting our guides for a long time. The truth is not very noticeable, they understand that "... flights at hypersonic speeds will be the technology that will fundamentally" change all the rules of the game "in the field of aviation ...".
    1. Protey
      0
      7 August 2012 20: 49
      This is not alarming for our leaders. They simply expect by the time of creation of new shock systems to be over the hill with a full egg, and let the remaining suckers be fried!
  5. +3
    4 August 2012 11: 46
    In Russia, they are also working on a similar project, we just do not "show off" to the whole world ...
    1. Protey
      0
      7 August 2012 20: 55
      Once Nikita Khrushchev showed unprecedented rockets in parades (later they turned out to be just mock-ups). The Americans choked their turnips for a long time! These were the show-offs! Maybe even wave some laser pointer now - let them think! laughing
  6. +2
    4 August 2012 13: 54
    Hypersonic planes are all nonsense, you need to create zero-transition systems wink
    1. bamboo
      +1
      4 August 2012 19: 25
      yes and immediately teleport)))) laughing
      boom and on Mars already build a candle factory))) fellow laughing
  7. 0
    4 August 2012 14: 50
    Why can’t you create a hypersonic plane by gradually increasing speed - first 5 max, then 6, then 7, ... then 20 ...?
    And then immediately bang 20 mach ... and the plane crashes for some reason.
    They immediately want to jump several steps - and it never works out that way.
    1. +3
      4 August 2012 15: 50
      Excuse me, are you saying that Gagarin should have been launched into space in parts?
      New technologies are always evolving spasmodically. If ... however I do not want to write many beeches.

      I join WWW - let there be more star-striped financial investments in the project, and fewer results
      1. 0
        4 August 2012 21: 06
        A rocket is not a plane.
  8. Kshatriy
    +1
    4 August 2012 16: 13
    Russia curtailed the Panda project, on the creation of hypersonic missile weapons, in the early nineties. Academician Velekhov then said to the whole world that in about 50 years the level of theoretical physics would be raised to such technologies. Only Gorbachev and Yeltsin donated everything to you ... now it is not yet a fact that the s-500 will have time to be put into service. As soon as the Thane can destroy Russia with impunity, he will do it without hesitation ...
  9. ZKBM-BUT
    0
    5 August 2012 10: 12
    And what is this plane for? What benefits does it bring in itself besides hemorrhoids with spending money? And in general, can it be called an airplane? Isn't that a rocket? Well, let's imagine - he flew quickly to a certain point, shot and flew away. Isn't it easier to launch a rocket? It will be much cheaper to mine than using this contraption. He will not be able to fly to the point and stay above it for a long time - they will be shot down. You will not be able to shoot down because he flies fast? I assure you that even if they cannot today, by the time the 10th such "aircraft" is released they will already be able to. Potamu how to develop and build a rocket to shoot down this miracle needs less money and time. The rocket is always cheaper. And he will not be able to dodge at such speeds. I am certainly not an expert and I understand little. But in my opinion they are making another shuttle. They will build for gigantic money, fly a little and throw it away. They will understand that this crap is insanely expensive and unnecessary. In my opinion, this is another American nonsense. PR and nothing more.
  10. 0
    5 August 2012 18: 46
    you can say anything, but to build such an aircraft the next 20 will not work due to lack of case materials, no one is planning a breakthrough in this area.
  11. sapulid
    0
    5 August 2012 21: 45
    Thanks for the info. Short and accessible. I think that we have something similar. I met an article somewhere that the Russian Federation successfully tested hypersonic aircraft with the ability to maneuver. (Please do not confuse with warheads). Now I was looking, but to no purpose. Sorry.
  12. 0
    1 August 2015 12: 13
    It’s interesting, but the Americans are still well done, because this will be a breakthrough of all mankind.

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