All this stuff is interesting but as Stoneboat's video highlights, it will all literally be a dead end!
There are those who maintain that the underlying technology can be used for the good of mankind and that aviation will benefit from the advances originally made in the pursuit of war, pretty much like the jet engine.
People who are developing engines like this, for example...
SABRE (Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) is a concept under development by Reaction Engines Limited for a hypersonic precooled hybrid air-breathing rocket engine. The engine is being designed to achieve single-stage-to-orbit capability, propelling the proposed Skylon spaceplane to low Earth orbit. SABRE is an evolution of Alan Bond's series of liquid air cycle engine (LACE) and LACE-like designs that started in the early/mid-1980s for the HOTOL project.
The design comprises a single combined cycle rocket engine with two modes of operation. The air-breathing mode combines a turbo-compressor with a lightweight air precooler positioned just behind the inlet cone. At high speeds this precooler cools the hot, ram-compressed air leading to a very high pressure ratio within the engine. The compressed air is subsequently fed into the rocket combustion chamber where it is ignited along with stored liquid hydrogen. The high pressure ratio allows the engine to provide high thrust at very high speeds and altitudes. The low temperature of the air permits light alloy construction to be employed and allow a very lightweight engine—essential for reaching orbit. In addition, unlike the LACE concept, SABRE's precooler does not liquefy the air, letting it run more efficiently.
After shutting the inlet cone off at Mach 5.14, 28.5 km altitude, the system continues as a closed-cycle high-performance rocket engine burning liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen from on-board fuel tanks, potentially allowing a hybrid spaceplane concept like Skylon to reach orbital velocity after leaving the atmosphere on a steep climb.
An engine derived from the SABRE concept called Scimitar has been designed for the company's A2 hypersonic passenger jet proposal for the European Union-funded LAPCAT study.
Think of it, with speeds like this one could contact Alisoncc and be in Australia before the words "put some shrimps on the barbie" had even be uttered or something like that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSEnAB1J4KE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYos3J_8D5Q
While this engine will work eventually I cannot see Skylon being used commercially as an airliner as the economics and risks of this kind of flight and hypersonic de-orbit will militate against it! I would be delighted to be proved wrong though. The engine could definitely be viable in unmanned missions to put satellites etc. into Low Earth Orbit.
The hapless British government will never show the vision or courage and foresight to wholeheartedly support this idea to make a real fist of it though. I see the idea being appropriated by the USA in the form envisaged by companies like SpaceX etc. who are looking laterally at these problems again and succeeding in bringing the total cost of spaceflight and satellite insertion down!
Caco
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 9:09 am
by OFSO
Technology would be put to a better use making Alan Bond a more realistic wig.
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 9:24 am
by Cacophonix
OFSO wrote:Technology would be put to a better use making Alan Bond a more realistic wig.
Sadly I think Mr Bond will make less out of his courageous efforts to develop the SABRE engine than he paid for that syrup unfortunately, such is the current state of funk and vision in so-called "free trading, successful, entrepreneurial Britain"!
Oh well at least we can still bake cakes as one notes ad-nauseam on the television!
Caco
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 9:55 am
by ian16th
I thought that the Skylon was an, at the time, 'futuristic' piece of art on the South Bank for the 1951 Festival of Britain.
I believe one of the problems with Sprint was ablation of the skin when passing through clouds / rain particles. I wonder if all these years later anyone has built a vehicle capable of faster acceleration.
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:46 pm
by AtomKraft
No, I do not think so. But remember, RVs come in at about M 25.
Acceleration wise, Nothing can compare to Sprint, although HiBex promised even more.
Sprints' acceleration was about 100G.
It was a hypersonic missile (ie Mach 5+), look for it becoming incandescent in the film, then think about how they passed the steering commands through the plasma sheath around the missile.
As for Q, dynamic loads, or the thermal thicket, as its sometimes known, the Sprint was able......for a few seconds
The Chinks are looking at steerable RVs, mainly to try to hit ships. That'll take some doing, for sure
AtomKraft wrote:You know, Cackers, its about time for a beer.
I'm in Astana. Where are you?
Closest to Kazakhstan I will get this year is Croatia, Atom, unfortunately. Mind you, I have always being careful of places with Stan in the name because my slightly off the wall sense of humour (plus my previously unparalled enjoyment of a good libation) tends to get me deep in the merde in such places, like it did his bloke...!
I love the bloke's name... Michael McFeat (not the Michael mind, which is a noble name and also happens to be mine, but the McFeat, which cracks me up given the poor bloke's dilemma)! Sorry I digress.
Do you ever make it back to the UK? I would be delighted to meet up anywhere within a tank or three in a spam can!
Caco
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:51 pm
by Cacophonix
It seems that the while the Sprint missile was the all time kitty when it came to acceleration on this side of the Cold War the Soviet Gazelle was an outstanding accelerator with a terminal velocity approaching Mach 17!
What has been learned, cannot easily be unlearned. The Russkis are romoured to be trying this, or a variant of, again.
Perhaps underwater???
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 2:53 pm
by AtomKraft
Cackers.
Probably the fastest mover was HiBex, but even Sprint was reckoned to be supersonic before it left the silo.
Sprint acceleration was c.100G. First stage was exhausted after 1.2 secs. Now that's heave!
They weren't farkin around in those days.
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 3:44 pm
by Boac
"Cackers." ?? Not keeping up with the times, young man!
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 4:13 pm
by AtomKraft
In this thread, I prefer our original terms.
Me n Cackers have been tacking about this stuff for years.
Re: Missiles.
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 4:20 pm
by Boac
So - you haven't noticed he ain't here no more, then? Been gorn a while.
