AviationWeek.com reported on October 22, 2009, that “NASA has selected a Williams International high-speed turbojet as the turbine element of its Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) engine test rig, which will be used to evaluate technologies for potential future two-stage to orbit launcher concepts.
“The 30-foot-long TBCC rig is under construction for runs at Mach 2 to 4 in a supersonic wind tunnel at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Ohio, starting next year. The Williams WJ38 turbojet is adapted to run at Mach 3-plus and is a predecessor of more advanced high-speed turbine designs being developed separately under the Air Force Research Laboratory/Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Mach 4-plus turbine Histed (high-speed turbine engine demonstration) program.
“Although not a Histed engine, the WJ38 was acquired by NASA as part of that program, and will be integrated into the TBCC rig next year.”
