Via Guy Norris at AviationWeek.com: Test officials preparing for first flight of the X-51 scramjet demonstrator say issues with the U.S. Air Force B-52 mothership may delay the first hypersonic flight attempt to early 2010. The U.S. Air Force/Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne/Boeing hypersonic test vehicle was originally expected to make its first flight around late October or early November.
However, integration has taken longer than expected, and first flight was later slipped to December, with captive carriage flights on the B-52H set to begin by the end of this month. Maintenance issues on the B-52H have added to the delay, test officials say. In addition, other Air Force mission priorities have been allocated to the test bed and “we have to get in line,” says one scientist attending the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics/DLR-organized space planes and hypersonics conference here this week, where an update on the program was given.
“We are waiting for test assets to be in position,” says Tom Jackson, AFRL Propulsion Directorate aerospace propulsion chief. “If that slips then first flight will slide further,” he adds. The X-51 is a Mach 6 plus waverider vehicle powered by a hydrocarbon (JP-7) fuel-cooled scramjet, and if successful could perform the longest duration air-breathing hypersonic flight in history. Four flights are planned, with the last currently set for April 2010.
