The race to field America's first hypersonic aircraft

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  • Опубліковано 5 січ 2023
  • Based on publicly available information, it’s become increasingly clear that there are at least two (and likely three) hypersonic aircraft in active development within the secretive confines of American R&D facilities. If (or maybe more appropriately, when) such a platform enters service, it promises to upend the hypersonic arms race that America has been consistently characterized as losing to near-peers in China and, to a lesser extent, Russia.
    Dr. Chris Combs on Twitter: / drchriscombs
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    📱 Follow Alex Hollings on social
    Twitter: / alexhollings52
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    Further Reading:
    Hypersonic Arms Race: www.sandboxx.us/blog/is-ameri...
    X-20 Dyna-SOAR: www.sandboxx.us/blog/x-20-dyn...
    Hypersonic Missile Problems: www.sandboxx.us/blog/high-spe...
    Darkstar and the SR-72: www.sandboxx.us/blog/is-there...
    Interview w/ Hermeus' Skyler Shuford (Video): • The future is hyperson...
    Darkstar China story: www.sandboxx.us/blog/top-gun-...
    Russian Hypersonic Hoax: www.sandboxx.us/blog/why-call...
    Citations:
    X-15 Neil Armstrong: theaviationgeekclub.com/the-s....
    Neil Armstrong NASA: www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/ab...
    Richard Hallion quote: www.defensemedianetwork.com/s...
    Hypersonic missile costs: www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...
    Russian and Chinese hypersonics in service: www.sandboxx.us/blog/here-are...
    Combined cycle engines: www.colorado.edu/faculty/kant...
    Mayhem contracting docs: www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...
    Leidos contract award: www.leidos.com/insights/leido...
    Scramjet propulsion: upcommons.upc.edu/bitstream/h...
    X-43A: ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/2...
    X-51 Waverider: www.google.com/search?q=x-51+...
    Turbofan function: www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/air...
    Hermeus Darkhorse: www.hermeus.com/darkhorse
    Hermeus Air Force contract: www.aflcmc.af.mil/news/articl...
    Raytheon Hermeus investment: www.rtx.com/news/news-center/...
    Hermeus F-100 announcement: www.hermeus.com/press-release...
    Hermeus turbojet/ramjet transition: www.sandboxx.us/blog/hyperson...
    Archive of LM's SR-72 website: web.archive.org/web/201801191...
    PopSci SR-72 Cover Story: www.popsci.com/inside-america...
    Aviation Week/Pop Mech report on SR-72 demonstrator: aviationweek.com/defense/amid-...
    O'Banion Quote: jalopnik.com/lockheed-martin-...
    Follow up by Bloomberg: www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 776

  • @alfredchurchill2328
    @alfredchurchill2328 Рік тому +360

    I’m half British and half American. My mums dad moved to America from the UK late 70’s to work at a place called MCAS Moffet Field. At this base there was something called the NASA Ames research centre. It was here my grandpa went to work designing the first aero shapes and scramjets for the testbed that they put on the nose of a Pegasus rocket, sling under a b52 and dropped at 50k. I think him and the team there were the grandfathers of scramjets and scramjet powered vehicles. At the time they had both the biggest and fastest wind tunnels in the world there. Mum moved there after she finished university. So I have grandpa and his cool job to thank for being half yank. He also helped design aspects of the Polaris ICBM and the satellite that intercepted Halley’s Comet. True genius of a man.

    • @nedkelly9688
      @nedkelly9688 Рік тому +12

      Cool but no one got scramjets to produce more thrust then drag until Australian Ray Stalker came along.
      He was head of NASA hypersonics during 80's. has a few awards for it from NASA and USA Aeronautics.

    • @anubis032
      @anubis032 Рік тому +3

      Located in Sunnyvale CA, rite here outside of San Jose CA were im from

    • @alfredchurchill2328
      @alfredchurchill2328 Рік тому +8

      @@anubis032 yeah I grew up and lived the first 13 years of my life in Cupertino before moving to the UK 👍

    • @alfredchurchill2328
      @alfredchurchill2328 Рік тому +9

      @@nedkelly9688 perhaps he worked with my grandpa. Wish he was around to ask!

    • @nedkelly9688
      @nedkelly9688 Рік тому +6

      @@alfredchurchill2328 Maybe. even X43A had overheating issues in the scramjet due to being a rectangular inlet design.
      From research i found Ray Stalker invented Cylindrical inlet helped keep scramjet internals cooler and produced more thrust.
      DARPA Raytheon and Australian company that all worked together in HIFIRE hypersonic tests now have inward turned inlet designs.
      DARPA new HAWC cruise missile uses this scramjet.
      Australian company Hypersonixs will test fly a scramjet drone this year with similar designed scramjet.
      CEO of this company worked with Ray Stalker and NASA for 10 years designing scramjets.

  • @a13Banger
    @a13Banger Рік тому +55

    So glad that your channel exists. So hard to find good channels like yours. Great work!

    • @cahg3871
      @cahg3871 Рік тому

      There is a lot of crap on UA-cam,lots nonsense,inane topics.

  • @CalvinMaclure
    @CalvinMaclure Рік тому +75

    You've quickly become one of the few channels I'll stop what I'm doing to watch as soon as something comes out.

  • @jamesbarca7229
    @jamesbarca7229 Рік тому +159

    While hypersonic speeds may limit the ability to deploy some weapons, it opens up the possibility of deploying others.
    If you're deploying SCRAMJET powered missiles from a hypersonic platform, you no longer have to use boosters since they're already going hypersonic when launched.

    • @Spartan1-1
      @Spartan1-1 Рік тому +25

      As he said their isn’t much point making a missile that’s a $106 million dollars for single use, but a plane would make more sense

    • @jamesbarca7229
      @jamesbarca7229 Рік тому +19

      @@Spartan1-1 I'm not referring to the hypersonic cruise missiles we're developing/testing now, I'm talking about a new generation of SCRAMJET missiles that don't have boosters. Missiles that are small and lightweight, for air to air, anti-radiation, anti-armor, etc. They wouldn't even need a warhead to destroy most targets, the kinetic energy alone would do the trick.

    • @thorwaldjohanson2526
      @thorwaldjohanson2526 Рік тому +6

      @@jamesbarca7229 a scramjet missile would be a hypersonic cruise missile. And I bet it would still be super expensive.

    • @prestongoodwin407
      @prestongoodwin407 Рік тому +3

      Thats whats gonna make the u.s king of the skies again in a few years if the sente goes for this asap and put 10 billion in to this company and bull run this shit !!!

    • @appa609
      @appa609 Рік тому +2

      @@Spartan1-1 No no think MBDA meteor but delete the rocket booster.

  • @cspace1234nz
    @cspace1234nz Рік тому +30

    The ability to put together seemingly credible information and present it is a way that ordinary people can understand continues to amaze me. Outstanding work, well done.

  • @WildBillCox13
    @WildBillCox13 Рік тому +4

    I was a child when I was fortunate to audit a tour guide's presentation about the X20 Dyna Soar (Dynamic Soaring) vehicle. An engineer on the project; he thought it would work. I was nine, so I believed him. Still love it.
    When I was 12 their (Lewis') presentation was focused on first gen ion engines, zero gee testing, and the promotional film we were shown during our tour was about the A12 and the nuclear umbrella. Drive straight up at multi-mach to 100,000' and fire missiles!
    I remember thinking: "where did Dyna Soar go?" It made me sad. I had bought in on the dream of piloting a Mach 20 fighter.
    Deflated, I turned from engineering to art and have seldom looked back since. Until I watched your video. Cheers.

    • @RichardSmith-cl8qh
      @RichardSmith-cl8qh Рік тому

      Yes, I rremember the Dyna Soar from reading about it - I think in Jr. High went it was an actual program then- I wondered what happened to it later.

  • @HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle

    I am very happy every time Sandboxx discusses hypersonic craft.

  • @flyboymike111357
    @flyboymike111357 Рік тому +19

    Anyone else think it's suspicious that the SR-72/Darkstar started to be talked about as if it had already flown, around the same time that it was revealed the NGAD had already flown?

    • @alexwalker2582
      @alexwalker2582 Рік тому +2

      Which NGAD? The Navy or the Air Force? They both have a 6th gen aircraft program named NGAD (probably for anti-espionage purposes).

    • @flyboymike111357
      @flyboymike111357 Рік тому +2

      @@alexwalker2582 AF

    • @dizzyizzie6354
      @dizzyizzie6354 Рік тому +1

      @@alexwalker2582 f-x is USAF , f/a-xx is USN.
      I would assume fx is more likely. ( The Gerald Ford would be the only CVN capable IMHO, (as it has EM cat/arrest system)
      However I would say that scramjet aircraft would use ground based sub->supersonic launch system. Either, if not both EM & rocket asst takeoff. (Stage 0 ) And boost - (1st) solid rocket for low alt/ supersonic->high supersonic / alt. velocitys. Then like boost-glide ( Merv & other re-entry vehicles) dive back down using gravity to achieve ignition speeds.
      But my point is I think ngad saying they have already flown is more of a "pav" or flight testing of parts or general conception validity.
      Imo it would probly be (new ir/irsst/Ram coatings & materials or there application. Just like mirror raptor or f-117, or the new f35 internal data sensor I can't remember it's name. But that n even adaptive engines. I wouldn't be surprised if they have ment the 6th gen aircraft as the b21. As technically everything falls under NGAD program

    • @jacobdewey2053
      @jacobdewey2053 Рік тому +5

      @@dizzyizzie6354 Couple of things in your comment I want to respond to:
      1. No naval fighter program has its first test flights done from a carrier. The F/A-XX will be tested from normal airfields long before it sees a carrier. That said, I do still agree that it was the F-X program's vehicle that was reported mostly because I'm fairly certain it was USAF officials that reported it.
      2. There is zero chance in the 21st century that the USN is going to use a rocket engine to boost one of its aircraft to supersonic speeds and using EMALs in that manner is a non-starter as well. Your concept of a glide vehicle is also a non-starter as a fighter because there's no way the USN will want an aircraft that has to *_land on a carrier_* to be a fucking glide vehicle. There is way too much risk in that. Any aircraft that will exceed Mach 3 will likely use a combined cycle engine that has both a turbojet/turbofan and a ramjet. That would be a suitable combination for the type of mission envelope people have talked about.
      3. The B-21 does not fall under NGAD but rather the LRS-B program

    • @trolleriffic
      @trolleriffic 9 місяців тому +1

      Successors to the Blackbird have been proposed and studied since the 1960s and even then the designs looked like the SR-72/Darkstar. Nothing suspicious about it because a hypersonic aircraft would be really a bad choice for NGAD.

  • @kayinoue2497
    @kayinoue2497 Рік тому +5

    I'm a huge SR-71 fangirl. I have a photo of myself at 10 years old standing under the nose of one on the Intrepid's deck as part of the Air Museum. I would absolutely LOVE to see an encore to the old Blackbird in the form of a hypersonic SR-72. The OG is the stuff of aviation legend. I think we have the know-how and the resources, and I'm excited to see what kind of innovation and creativity will bring such a beast to life.

    • @gokuvegeta7770
      @gokuvegeta7770 Рік тому

      they already announced a new variant and im sure thats not even close to what we have that is not talked about

    • @trolleriffic
      @trolleriffic 9 місяців тому

      @@gokuvegeta7770 People want an SR-71 successor out of nostalgia, but they fail to see the bigger picture of why such an aircraft would be much less capable than subsonic, stealth platforms. There's a reason the Blackbird was an evolutionary dead end - all that speed and the compromises needed to achieve it were a hindrance more than a vital capability.

  • @philcourteney4328
    @philcourteney4328 Рік тому +17

    i've loved following Hermeus' journey, i cant wait to see what they can achieve this coming year!

    • @withoutstickers
      @withoutstickers Рік тому +2

      same, I so hyped for quarterhouse's first flight

    • @halos4179
      @halos4179 Рік тому +1

      Don't fall for it.

    • @withoutstickers
      @withoutstickers Рік тому +2

      @@halos4179 I’ll believe it when I see it, but I’m hopeful

    • @philcourteney4328
      @philcourteney4328 Рік тому +2

      Absolutely, I have no skin in the game other than an interest in aeronautics, but they’re looking competent 😁👍

    • @arthas640
      @arthas640 Рік тому

      @@halos4179 how so? You keep making that claim without offering any information or sources to back it up.

  • @whoprofits2661
    @whoprofits2661 Рік тому +2

    Another awesome video, thanks Alex!

  • @michaeldenesyk3195
    @michaeldenesyk3195 Рік тому +10

    Happy New Year Alex. I remember that there was a proposal to make the SR-71 a delivery platform for SRAM missiles, the concept was to have an SR-71 make attacks on Soviet IADS nodes with nuclear-armed SRAM missiles. The Missiles would have been carried in empty reconnaissance camera bays, I believe that 3 were specified to be carried. The abstract was in an SR-71 book I used to have.

    • @jonathanpfeffer3716
      @jonathanpfeffer3716 Рік тому +2

      You are sort of correct, but that actually predates the SR-71. The USAF was going to use the B-70 to do what you describe, but they found that the SR-71's precursor, the A-12, would do it better. So they planned on converting some A-12s to the "B-71", the successor to the B-70. Since it would be able to do both recon and strike missions it would have been designated the RS-71, but (according to rumor) Lyndon B. Johnson misspoke in a conference and called it the SR-71, and since nobody wanted to correct the President, they just said that the SR meant "strategic recon". Conveniently, though, they later ended up dropping the strike capability of the SR-71 due to lack of any real use cases, and the incorrect name became correct again.

  • @larrybush7350
    @larrybush7350 Рік тому +1

    Always take time off to recharge! I did miss last week episode, but that's okay, just shows you how good your channel is!
    I worked at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) for 25 years, all my bosses were workaholics, hardly managed to participate in watching my daughter grow up! So I have learned to appreciate stopping to smell the roses!

  • @porthose2002
    @porthose2002 Рік тому

    Love your content, Alex. Can't wait until the next one.

  • @sethb3090
    @sethb3090 Рік тому +2

    Dude, I found a copy of Modern Combat Aircraft in my elementary school library and read the whole thing when I was 6. It was part of what got me into military and aviation history as it talked about things like the Korean War and Six Days War and the roles aircraft played.

  • @manzilrai
    @manzilrai Рік тому

    thanks alex for the great content as always!!

  • @udeychowdhury2529
    @udeychowdhury2529 Рік тому

    Thanks once again!! Always grateful for your effort

  • @JFM94
    @JFM94 Рік тому

    Always informative and well sourced. Thanks!

  • @clydedeloach9066
    @clydedeloach9066 Рік тому

    Thanks for your compelling coverage !

  • @nathanfisher1826
    @nathanfisher1826 Рік тому

    Great job! Thanks!

  • @michaelold6695
    @michaelold6695 Рік тому +21

    I am really interested in the design considerations for dropping a payload at hypersonic speeds. It won’t be as simple as opening bomb bay doors in to the air flow. Even just having a cavity open would create a lot of turbulence and drag.

    • @XxTheGreatDestroyerx
      @XxTheGreatDestroyerx Рік тому +3

      Was just thinking about this. Maybe the aircraft would slow down to deploy munitions? Doesn’t sound right to me though.

    • @e.s.5529
      @e.s.5529 Рік тому +5

      It's a reverse "slide door method "In .5 seconds, aircraft-induced air pressure is absorbed and jettisoned, it is mixed with methane and air at the rear of the platform.

    • @e.s.5529
      @e.s.5529 Рік тому +1

      but do not make any mistake there has been version upon version of this kind of platform since the 90s operating over the gulf and the west coast. Two were operational.

    • @danahebdon6810
      @danahebdon6810 Рік тому

      @@e.s.5529 - There were more than 2 versions operating, and they were doing it long before the 90's...

    • @tedzehnder961
      @tedzehnder961 Рік тому +2

      Go higher with less air around>

  • @SMRo7
    @SMRo7 Рік тому

    Very nice, like always!

  • @siliconfreak2883
    @siliconfreak2883 Рік тому +2

    Fantastic video Alex. It is becoming more obvious that hypersonics are going to have a large role in aviation's future which is an exciting prospect. Maybe we can take the lead for speed.

  • @Bigben-1989
    @Bigben-1989 Рік тому

    Bet!!! Stoked for a new vid 💪🏼

  • @paulfollo8172
    @paulfollo8172 Рік тому

    Great video! As usual. 👍

  • @arnoldsherrill2585
    @arnoldsherrill2585 Рік тому +3

    When you post it's like Christmas once a week., And I am sure I'm not the only person that feels this way. For aviation buffs like me who for medical reasons never got a chance to become a pilot but never lost the dream, Alex hollings air power helps keep the dream alive in a lot of us and for that I say thank you from all of us keep up the great work., And for us continuing to look up and wonder what's happening next

  • @HauptmanNase
    @HauptmanNase Рік тому

    Fantastic info, great channel...
    Top marks

  • @heathwirt8919
    @heathwirt8919 Рік тому

    Great report Alex!

  • @Maidrite1960
    @Maidrite1960 Рік тому

    Alex, I always enjoy your videos thanks

  • @robbliven01
    @robbliven01 Рік тому

    Awesome work!!!!

  • @user-di4bt7qu2i
    @user-di4bt7qu2i Рік тому

    Fascinating video. Thanks for posting this.

  • @useemehere2
    @useemehere2 Рік тому

    Great work! Wow nice to know about all this. Information is the key to be knowledgeable in everyday life.

  • @wrenbird8352
    @wrenbird8352 Рік тому

    best cross over in a minute Doc Chris Combs and sandbox!

  • @raymoncada
    @raymoncada Рік тому

    Welcome back! Happy new year!

  • @Watchandcutgearchannel
    @Watchandcutgearchannel Рік тому

    This video is brilliant… well put together

  • @jpx1508
    @jpx1508 Рік тому +5

    Wonderful times to be an aerospace geek.... the reality of current fantasy is flying under cover of night, and the next unveiling is just behind the sunrise.

  • @FreedomIsNotFree2023
    @FreedomIsNotFree2023 Рік тому +1

    These videos may not mean much to some people but I got to tell you Alex. For giggity Fanboy military nerds such as myself, your content is pure gold! Love it! Keep up the good work, looking forward to seeing your future content.

  • @Shazbat5
    @Shazbat5 Рік тому +4

    The X-15 is pretty well documented.

  • @marcuspartridge11
    @marcuspartridge11 Рік тому

    Excellent video!

  • @thepilotman5378
    @thepilotman5378 Рік тому +4

    Yeah go nailed a few points. The only real limits to these programs are the costs. Getting a cheap, high-strength, high temp, and low heat transfer material is almost impossible. Modern material science can give us some crazy metals and composites, but they cost fortunes

    • @nedkelly9688
      @nedkelly9688 Рік тому

      Development has gotten better. keep a eye out on Australian company Hypersonixs who will fly a scramjet drone this year. Named Dart AE . Kratos will help with Drone part.
      3D printing their drone and scramjet engine making it cheap and very fast.
      Asked Alex to research and do videos on it but he seems rude and uninterested.
      Not very good at researching if he know's nothing about the programme .
      HIFIRE joint USA,AUS and UK hypersonic tests were very important to USA and the other 2 countries hypersonic programmes.
      All the big USA companies were involved.
      Including Ray Stalker known as first to get essence of flight from scramjets.
      Head of NASA hypersonics during 80's.

  • @2779mattie
    @2779mattie Рік тому

    I love this channel always something awesome thank you

  • @damaliamarsi2006
    @damaliamarsi2006 Рік тому +1

    Your apology is not accepted as it is not necessary. Your videos rock and if we have to suffer a week without one so you can keep your sanity we are all happy to do it. Glad you had a good bit of time off. Keep the great videos coming.

  • @daneo617
    @daneo617 Рік тому

    I'm new, this was an incredible video all around

  • @mmdixonjr
    @mmdixonjr Рік тому

    Alex Hollings… You are absolutely my favorite airplane geek!

  • @Isaacsbased
    @Isaacsbased Рік тому +2

    I’m a big believer in that if we know about it, it’s probably already in service to an extent.

  • @WasabiSniffer
    @WasabiSniffer Рік тому +3

    There was a time when breaking the sound barrier was the aeronautical unicorn, then space travel, then the moon. It's exciting to think we'll reach an age when an aircraft flying faster than an SR71 without breaking a sweat will be as benign as it is groundbreaking.

  • @ThomasLee123
    @ThomasLee123 Рік тому

    THANKS ALEX. SANDBOX, THANKS TO YOU, IS STILL THE PREMIER WARFIGHTING SITE ON THE INTERNET, AS A FORMER AIRCRAFT ENGINEER, I APPRECIATE BOTH THE TECH AND PRACTICALITY OF EVERY POST.

  • @McMurchie
    @McMurchie Рік тому

    Great video

  • @bobkohl6779
    @bobkohl6779 Рік тому

    Outstanding Alex

  • @RandomeXits
    @RandomeXits Рік тому

    Good on ya Alex

  • @hudsonreynolds4349
    @hudsonreynolds4349 Рік тому +1

    Awesome video

  • @clarencehopkins7832
    @clarencehopkins7832 Рік тому

    Excellent stuff bro

  • @md.moinulislam9467
    @md.moinulislam9467 Рік тому

    Very creative technology video review....!

  • @geoffreywardle2162
    @geoffreywardle2162 Рік тому

    Very interesting presentation in the UK. we had many hypersonic R&D programs in the 1960s and 1970s, one of the major efforts being the MUSTARD program at Warton, and then there was HOTOL in the 1980s and early 1990s which I did a bit of work on until it was cancelled like all the rest. We now have a chance with Reaction Engines work which I hope leads to a flying article. All the best on your articles they are all very good.

  • @joshuahudnell7401
    @joshuahudnell7401 Рік тому

    I feel the need!

  • @peribe438
    @peribe438 Рік тому

    Excellent!

  • @Cybersawz
    @Cybersawz Рік тому

    Awesome channel content! No need to apologize for taking time off. Everyone NEEDS time off to recharge.

  • @jaysonpida5379
    @jaysonpida5379 Рік тому

    Great vid...well done.

  • @istvansipos9940
    @istvansipos9940 Рік тому +1

    20:48 "if brute force ain't workin', you're not using enough of it."

  • @pjnam331
    @pjnam331 Рік тому

    This is a great history class nobody knew about, even me, thanks to providing so much new technology in this matter

  • @prajeshmajumdar4509
    @prajeshmajumdar4509 Рік тому

    O man, finally after few weeks of gap, you r back again. I belive you are doing great 👍...
    Well, my request to you is, do not disappear suddenly, just inform prior to that... because there are N number of people across the globe, praise your videos like crazy... and I am one of those all the way from New Delhi.
    Stay blessed Dear Alex!!

  • @dewarthompson7723
    @dewarthompson7723 Рік тому

    I love to collect the Hobby Master 1:72 die-cast models. They are highly detailed.

  • @miketheneanderthal9490
    @miketheneanderthal9490 Рік тому +1

    Thanks for another secrets-filled video! I promise not to tell my wife who immigrated from China 2 years ago. Really love your drops.

  • @jimnaz5267
    @jimnaz5267 Рік тому

    ANOTHER EXCELNT VID.

  • @hippopotaman075
    @hippopotaman075 Рік тому

    I hope this information is in the ballpark we may need it in the next 20 years, enjoyed your presentation 😊🌏

  • @foxglow6798
    @foxglow6798 Рік тому

    Alex, no need to apologize for the wait. We’re all glad you enjoyed it!

  • @rmilstead
    @rmilstead Рік тому

    OT: can we get a rundown on that stack of books from your intro? There’s gold there for sure.

  • @aj-2savage896
    @aj-2savage896 Рік тому +1

    It's been known for years that manufacturing limitations were the problem, not design limitations, when it came to propulsion.

  • @fh5926
    @fh5926 Рік тому +1

    I knew Pete Knight, one of the the original X-15 pilots. Pretty cool when he got his astronaut's wings.

  • @vincenzoclesceri4673
    @vincenzoclesceri4673 Рік тому

    I usually skip intros to accounts I subscribe too… but I’m always psyched to hear “ I’m Alex Hollings and this is Air Power”
    “Fox 1 fox1”
    Thanks for making amazing content.

  • @chrissartain4430
    @chrissartain4430 Рік тому

    Great coverage and although I did really miss last weeks video, You should take the brakes you need brother !!

  • @chiseldrock
    @chiseldrock Рік тому

    really missed my air power over the holidays however if it gave you some time with your Family and a break from the trolls then all is good Best in the new year Alex cheers from Canada !

  • @gregparrott
    @gregparrott Рік тому

    I was expecting a mostly speculative assessment of hypersonic aircraft. But this program's content was FAR better than that.
    Thumbs up for a very well detailed cover of the U.S. efforts

  • @jakeaurod
    @jakeaurod Рік тому

    Deploying weapons from these hypersonic aircraft sounds fun. My guess is they'll take a page from the new book being written by cargo planes and slide them out the rear of an internal bay on rails and rollers. I don't know what sort of ejection system it would use since gravity doesn't work that way and explosive bolts may not want to be used internally. Perhaps a linear induction motor or compressed air or simply letting the airstream push/pull it out.
    BTW, I wonder if a LACE or SABRE engine might work as well.

  • @ToeCutter0
    @ToeCutter0 Рік тому +2

    Perhaps I’ve been around the military and military contractors for a bit too long, but I’m not buying any of this?! That’s not to say that Alex doesn’t know what he’s talking about, this is actually one of the most coherent videos on US hypersonics I’ve seen in quite some time. That said, I also have to assume that Alex knows that military nomenclature just doesn’t work in such a way that would present us with an aircraft whose nomenclature equals an SR-72. That, for the civilians among us, is just marketing that folks at Lockheed Martin use to impress said civilians.
    Even military contractors make use of marketing tools. Because contractors often find themselves interacting with civilian politicians and their staff. It also wasn’t lost on me how the Lockheed Martin exec wasted no time in comparing hypersonics to stealth as being equally disruptive, which is debatable.
    As Alex conveyed here, maintaining hypersonic velocities with air-breathing engines is incredibly difficult. The technical challenges associated with properly igniting a SCRAM or RAMJET engine until the point at which it generates positive thrust are numerous. Providing a platform to carry and launch munitions from, while exceeding Mach 5, is an order of magnitude more complicated than simply achieving HS flight. I still can’t even understand how such a craft would deploy weapons from an internal weapons bay? It may sound silly, but how does one present a bay door made of…..anything to airflow exceeding Mach 5 when anticipated temperatures are well over 1300° F, let alone munitions that house electronics for guidance?
    These challenges serve as excellent reminders as to why the likes of Russia and China have been beating their hypersonic drums so loudly. Both countries would rely upon asymmetrical weapon systems to deter the US from attacking them. They simply cannot hope to prevail against the US in open military conflict, so they make quite a bit of noise about their investments in these “asym platforms” that threaten to do serious damage to US military assets should they be deployed against these countries in future conflict. Prompting the US to develop similar weapons of their own is simply gravy, as those investments are funds not available to increase the quantity of weapons the US has successfully deployed in recent conflicts.
    Even so, the US requires a measured approach to developing new weapon systems based upon technology the US abandoned during the 60’s? I simply cannot see the value in HS missiles that cost so much that military commanders may be forced to use them sparingly due to high cost, low yield and questionable effectiveness against specific targets when good old traditional missiles that approach HS speeds will get the job done, especially when those same commands have the option of saturating targets with multiple fire missions that ensure the targets are destroyed.
    Russia and China also share a storied past of dramatically overstating the effectiveness of their weapon systems. Considering the truly astonishing demise of the Russian military in the Ukraine (I’m still SHOCKED!) and China’s inability to overcome COVID, I would encourage a measured, none-too-hasty approach at developing some very costly hypersonic weapon systems to counter Russia & China, only to discover that they never had any hypersonic capability to speak of.

    • @thorwaldjohanson2526
      @thorwaldjohanson2526 Рік тому

      I agree with most of what you said, but I think the research is still good and lead to great advancements in technology. Ram and scram jets have the potential to be quite cost effective, once they are properly figured out. But getting there is not easy. But even if it does not lead to a good product in the end, a lot of understanding in super/hypersonic flow, plasmaphysics, simulation, combustion etc. Will be gained. These are things that are very much so transferable to other projects.

  • @williamduffy1227
    @williamduffy1227 2 місяці тому

    I've never read anything that said the X-20 'Dynasoar' was supposed to be either a hypersonic test vehicle, a bomber, or was supposed to skip off the atmosphere like Sanger's Silverbird concept.
    I do remember reading about a concept called the RoBo (Rocket Bomber) which was similar though.

  • @srgranke
    @srgranke Рік тому

    I think that happened way back on June 8,1959 with the X-15....not much of a race if you ask me! Nice to see it in the video :)

  • @rzmonk76
    @rzmonk76 Рік тому +2

    3:25 Looks a lot like the X37b

  • @nicksheridan588
    @nicksheridan588 Рік тому

    Hi Alex, thanks for your videos...I over the details... re what else is of interest... I'm Always up for coverage on f-35 block 4...

  • @Condor1970
    @Condor1970 Рік тому +1

    Considering Lockheed built the SR-71, and conducted hypersonic X-15 and D-21 drone research 70 years ago, it's not a stretch to think they've had real viable designs on the drawing board for quite some time. The only thing holding that progress back, is funding.

  • @SmoochyRoo
    @SmoochyRoo Рік тому +2

    This video kept reminding me of that one 4chan post about the never ending cycle of Chinese and Russian paper tigers scaring the US into leaping 2 entire generations ahead of everyone else then realizing the paper tigers are made of paper
    Foxbat moment

  • @dnorrish117
    @dnorrish117 Рік тому +2

    I am a hypersonic skeptic. I am not sure if the added capabilities are worth the extra cost to build, maintain, and the complexity of combat operations. If i were the DoD tho I would totally hype our hypersonic missile and plane programs so that China and Russia spend tons of money to match them only to realize they are not worth the costs (like Star Wars during the Cold War)

    • @Grenadier311
      @Grenadier311 Рік тому

      I'm sure they'll find a niche of high-value targets for em.

  • @simondrury5148
    @simondrury5148 Рік тому

    Where did you get the Modern Combat Aircraft book? I had it as a teenager and would love to find a new copy of it.

  • @samiis1260
    @samiis1260 Рік тому +1

    America's first hypersonic aircraft was the X15 in 1959

  • @ericUSA95
    @ericUSA95 Рік тому

    Great video & very informative! 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • @bobfish3176
    @bobfish3176 Рік тому +2

    Haven't seen an update on weaponized lasers lately. I am sure they have gotten smaller and more powerful!

    • @thorwaldjohanson2526
      @thorwaldjohanson2526 Рік тому +2

      There are some general physics problems such as atmospheric absorption and scattering. That limits the range. I think the first proper role will be in the CRAM role.. I guess nowadays that includes smaller drones as well.

    • @cookiecola5852
      @cookiecola5852 Рік тому

      Ya, i want a death star but iam fine with a blaster or whatever ugh

  • @Werrf1
    @Werrf1 Рік тому

    Talking about the cooling system on the engine of the SR-72 makes me think of the SABRE engine being developed by Reaction Engines inc. in the UK. It's a combined air-breathing/rocket engine which uses a precooler to cool the intake air at high speeds for low altitude operation, then switch to an onboard oxidizer for operation above altitudes of 28.5 km. REI are known to have had some investment and interest from the US DOD.

  • @billmorrison3714
    @billmorrison3714 6 місяців тому

    One aspect of hypersonic (or supersonic) flight that I’ve not heard discussed, is any Doppler Weather Radar will detect the shockwave produced by above speed of sound aircraft.

  • @smokeylovesfire1589
    @smokeylovesfire1589 Рік тому

    Great information! I’m wondering now if the D-21 which launched off the back of the A-12 had enough speed to be included here. It was powered by a ramjet engine.

  • @Noisy_Cricket
    @Noisy_Cricket Рік тому

    Don't apologize for taking time off. Dude, it's the holidays, we get it!

  • @rodneyshima1375
    @rodneyshima1375 Рік тому

    I’ve seen three aircraft of some type flying information and it look like three stars, moving slowly high in our atmosphere, one broke off and flew over the top of the other two, and it showered sparks around all the aircraft, I remember reading about the antigravity ship called Manta that displays propulsion some thing like that? i’ve also seen a propulsion system that left a donut pattern in the sky and it was moving fast. I’ve read about that experimental plane to ,can you share any light on these black project aircraft or is it something we just don’t talk about” thanks Alex Holley I’ve learned a lot from from your program peace, my friend👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • @michaelmoorrees3585
    @michaelmoorrees3585 Рік тому

    I have an old copy of Compton's Encyclopedia. Old enough with Eisenhower, still as President. It has a section on the X-20, with pictures, in its space article.

  • @keithw4920
    @keithw4920 Рік тому

    How is that different from the Space Shuttle system where the boosters send the Orbiter high up and it can glide back down at hypersonic speeds?

  • @P.Galore
    @P.Galore Рік тому

    On Sunday mornings in California, some very unusual aircraft contrails could be momentarily seen. The planes moved exceptional fast and left a contrail of knots and hyphens. There was no sound or sonic boom. This started approx. 2004.

  • @donaldhoward8090
    @donaldhoward8090 Рік тому

    I can see something like this being used as a scout with the ngad and a strike group to follow up.

  • @spinmaster4348
    @spinmaster4348 Рік тому

    Glad to see the higher quality contents, upload rates aren’t that important.

  • @andrewday3206
    @andrewday3206 Рік тому

    As you watch, and listen to the end about stealth vs speed, you cannot help but remember how ceramic RAM (radar absorbent materials) would allow speed and stealth.

  • @randallparker8477
    @randallparker8477 Рік тому

    Top notch report. Bravo Zulu

  • @jeffharmed1616
    @jeffharmed1616 11 місяців тому

    The Lockheed Blackbird developed in 1964 was also hypersonic and although the air always flowed through the compressor, at high speeds the compressor was a drag. This meant that it was a hypersonic ram-jet aircraft back in 1964, so the Russian hypersonic missiles are not new tech.

    • @trolleriffic
      @trolleriffic 9 місяців тому

      The Blackbirds weren't remotely hypersonic, nor were they powered by ramjets. Mach 3.4 is nowhere near hypersonic speed and the J58 engine used bypass ducts to carry air from after the 4th compressor stage to the afterburner - since the air was compressed by the turbine blades it means that by definition it's not a ramjet - that would require air to bypass the engine core entirely and only rely on compression by the intake.

  • @finarfin
    @finarfin Рік тому +1

    Could you share the books you got? Would love to read some

    • @finarfin
      @finarfin Рік тому +1

      Share the names obviously