Startup Hermeus, which is designing a hypersonic aircraft, has announced the completion of ground tests of its Quarterhorse prototype. We explain what has been done and what it is.
According to the startup Hermeus, ground tests of the Mk 0 prototype have been completed, which, as planned, paves the way for future flight tests of the Mk 1 prototype, scheduled for 2024. The ground test phase lasted 37 days and was carried out at the Arnold Development Complex United States Air Force (USAF) Engineering Complex in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
The Quarterhorse Mk1 successfully demonstrated integrated subsystem ground control, taxi capability, and effective response to loss of communication and the effect of delay on flight control. This is a major achievement, especially since the test unit was designed and built in just six months. Additionally, Don Kaderbeck, Vice President of Testing at Hermeus, commented on the event.
This was the first time our flight test team had the opportunity to work on an implementation test campaign with external stakeholders. The more the team collaborates and sets the tone, the smoother the flight tests will be.
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The team will now undergo flight tests, reaching speeds below Mach 3 and up to Mach 5. Reaching the declared speed of Mach 5 (6,125 km/h) will allow him to break the airspeed record currently held by the legendary SR-71 Blackbird. (more than Mach 3).
Therefore, the startup received, among other things: about Financing worth $60 million from the US Air Force and venture capital firms to support the Quarter Horse flight test program. In addition, at the end of 2023, the company received a grant from the Defense Innovation Unit to improve hypersonic driving technology.
The Quarterhorse drone is equipped with a turbojet engine based on a modification of the General Electric J85 engine. In addition, the aircraft must be equipped with an airframe layer that is highly resistant to high temperatures (up to more than 1000°C). It is worth noting that the final project, if successful, will most likely become a new machine in the US President's fleet.
Przemyslaw Juraszek, journalist at Wirtualna Polska
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