Hypersonic WaveRider jet can cross Atlantic in 1 hour
U.S. Air Force to test unmanned aircraft, expect flight to reach Mach 6 speeds
The Associated Press
Posted: Aug 14, 2012 12:53 PM ET
Last Updated: Aug 14, 2012 12:52 PM ET
In this image provided by the U.S. Air Foce an X-51A WaveRider rides under the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress Dec. 9, 2008. (U.S. Air Force/Associated Press)
The U.S. Air Force plans a key test of an experimental aircraft designed to fly at six times the speed of sound, or about 5,800 km/h.
The aircraft is intended to allow the Pentagon to deliver strikes around the globe within minutes.
The Los Angeles Times reports the unmanned X-51 WaveRider is expected to reach Mach 6 on Tuesday when it's dropped by a B-52 bomber and takes flight off the California coast.
An X-51A WaveRider hypersonic flight test vehicle is uploaded to an Air Force Flight Test Center B-52 in this 2009 photo. (U.S. Air Force/Associated Press)Engineers hope it sustains its top speed for 300 seconds, twice as long as it's gone before.
In its most recent test last year, the Boeing-designed X-51 fell for about four seconds before its booster rocket ignited, but the aircraft failed to separate from the rocket and plunged into the ocean.
© The Associated Press, 2012
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