From: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Subject: Skunk Works Digest V5 #716 Reply-To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu Precedence: Skunk Works Digest Wednesday, 9 October 1996 Volume 05 : Number 716 In this issue: Re: SPYPLANES, the review Re: B-52Z Re: Married Pilots for spy missions. SPYPLANES, the review Re: SPYPLANES, the review Re: Married Pilots for spy missions. Re: Shaker Vanes redux Re[2]: Black Horse for LEO [was Re: XB-70...?] Edwards Open House Schedule (Re:) Edwards Open House Schedule Re: SPYPLANES, the review Married/Unmarried Pilots [was Re[2]:WINGS show on Discovery] Re: SPYPLANES, the review Skunk Works Digest 5-682 Is this list still alive? Re: Edwards Open House Schedule (Re:) Environmental Impact Statement Process Begins for Test Flights of X-33 Technology Demonstrator, Public Meetings Scheduled (fwd) other gift shops NASA Seeks Industry Proposals for Hypersonic Flight Research Vehicles (fwd) See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the skunk-works or skunk-works-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: jgregor@bitbucket.engr.sgi.com (John Gregor) Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 14:57:17 -0700 Subject: Re: SPYPLANES, the review First, Andreas, thanks for the WINGS summary (and for the many other terrific articles you've posted over the years). Second, I have a question. During the show, I thought I heard them say that it took 11 refuelings to do the CONUS-Israel-CONUS recon trips during the 1973 war. Did I hear that right (I was out of the room)? I remember reading that there was a hard upper limit on SR-71 endurance based on TEB shots and on-board Nitrogen (used to purge the tanks after each refuelling). I would have thought that 11 trips to the tanker would have used up one or both of these resources. Can anyone with the pilot's manual (or better knowledge of the plane) enlighten me? Thanks, - -JohnG BTW, Seymour Cray died Saturday. Much like Kelly Johnson, Seymour was a damn good engineer who could handle all phases of development from first concept to completion. Both men had a laundry list of accomplishments that set the standard for their respective industries (largely cold-war driven in both cases) for decades. He will be missed. ------------------------------ From: russellk@BIX.com Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 20:07:01 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: B-52Z >> And, who can forget the infamous Boeing B-52Z? >> >> Geo. Cully > >I may be too young but I never heard this story... Isn't that the "Old Dog" in Dale Brown's novels? ============================================ Russell Kay, Technical Editor, BYTE Magazine 1 Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458 603-924-2591; fax 603-924-2550 russellk@bix.com ============================================ ------------------------------ From: Brett Davidson Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 13:15:09 +1300 (NZDT) Subject: Re: Married Pilots for spy missions. On Mon, 7 Oct 1996, Doug Tiffany wrote: > > > Answer is easy. If downed and taken captive, the married > > pilot will have a better time coping with torture! > > Chuck > > > > He would also be more experienced at begging for mercy! > And he might even LIKE it... - --Brett ------------------------------ From: UKdragon@aol.com Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 02:57:20 -0400 Subject: SPYPLANES, the review Wei-Jen Su wrote: Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 22:49:46 -0400 (EDT) > Additionally, the program said that the SR-71 have the ceiling of 90,000 ft plus!!! No more 80,000 ft or 85,000 ft like most of the books and tv documental said. The stuff I have all says 85K or thereabouts. >Missions of the US Spyplanes during the Cold War will be unclassified in the year 2,010. Not if a number of historians and researchers - myself included - have their way! BTW, where did this 2010 story come from in the first place? I know Jay Miller mentions it in one of his books... Regards Chris Pocock "Information is useless without Intelligence" UKdragon@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Wei-Jen Su Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 04:07:08 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: SPYPLANES, the review On Tue, 8 Oct 1996 UKdragon@aol.com wrote: > Wei-Jen Su wrote: > Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 22:49:46 -0400 (EDT) > > >Missions of the US Spyplanes during the Cold War will be > unclassified in the year 2,010. > > Not if a number of historians and researchers - myself included - have their > way! > BTW, where did this 2010 story come from in the first place? I know Jay > Miller mentions it in one of his books... From the Discovery Channel program: Spyplanes. May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@barney.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net ------------------------------ From: drbob@creighton.edu Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 10:08:58 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Re: Married Pilots for spy missions. As I reflected upon the statement that all SR-71 pilots had to be married, someting seemed amiss. My former Nav 1 in the RC-135 was previously a Q nav at Beale. He met his wife there, who was also dating an SR-71 pilot. Indeed, there was some tension there as my friend was "only" a KC-135 navigator but the other fellow was a sled pilot. Hard to believe that this SR-71 pilot was married AND dating---such activity is hard to mask in such a small community and is a real no-no as far your security clearance goes. Moreover, I knew at least U-2 pilots who were single. Perhaps the married requirement was an early thing intended to cull out potentially irresponsible pilots and RSOs who might be subject to security compromise. DrBob ------------------------------ From: Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 13:20:11 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Shaker Vanes redux Chuck wrote: >The Shaker-Vanes located on the nose of the 2nd B70 prototype >were used to induce turbulence during tests [...] The FIRST XB-70 (USAF FY-Serial '62-0001', tail number '20001', aka 'AV-1', 'Air Vehicle 1', or 'Ship 1', which is preserved and displayed at the USAFM in Dayton, OH), and NOT the SECOND XB-70 (FY-Serial '62-0207', tail number '20270', aka 'AV-2', 'Air Vehicle 2', or 'Ship 2', which crashed on June 8, 1966), was used by NASA. The ILAF package and the shaker vanes (a 100% NASA-funded project), were installed after the 73rd flight on March 21, 1968, and 9 test flights were conducted from June 11, 1968, until December 17, 1968, all for the NASA SST research program. The USAF had bailed out of the XB-70 SST research program long (over a year) before that time. - -- Andreas - --- --- Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: schnars@ais.org 313 West Court St. #305 or: gpahl@raptor.csc.flint.umich.edu Flint, MI 48502-1239 Tel: (810) 238-8469 WWW URL: http://www.umcc.umich.edu/~schnars/ - --- --- ------------------------------ From: "Terry Colvin" Date: Tue, 08 Oct 96 10:17:44 GMT Subject: Re[2]: Black Horse for LEO [was Re: XB-70...?] Date: Fri, 04 Oct 1996 13:59:08 +0000 From: Michael Walsh Subject: Black Horse for LEO [was Re: XB-70...?] mancus@@rtpnews.raleigh.ibm.com wrote: > > In <9609018441.AA844184280@fhu.disa.mil>, "Terry Colvin" writes: > >No one ever said that Black Horse is capable of continuous scaling.--- - --- - --- > >you could boost this, but still you're definitely talking 10,000 lbs. > >and under. > > From Mitch's paper, "In-flight Propellant Transfer Spaceplane > Design and Testing Considerations", I quote: > > "A larger aircraft with a 10,000 lb payload requirement was also > examined. --- - --- - --- > From Table 5: > JP-5/H2O2 RP-1/O2 H2/O2 > Due east payload (lb): 17773 19041 17532 > > -- end quote from paper -- > > Note that this is for a straightforward scaleup based on a > KC-10 as tanker. Where do you disagree with his figures? This > ignores all the exotic tricks you mention in your post, which could > conceivably boost payload even higher. > --- - --- - --- I believe Terry Colvin's numbers come from reviewing Mitchell Clapp's paper "An approximate method of assessing the performance of propellant transfer spaceplanes" which baselines a payload of 6,000 lbs. and mentions use of what might be termed "exotic tricks" to increase the payload to 14,100 lbs. I think the disagreement results from looking at different baselines. I don't see a date on the paper I mentioned and perhaps he did the analyses of the larger vehicle at a later date. I suspect the critical factor is the size of the vehicle which has to take off and climb to altitude rather than the tanker capacity. Since I didn't post the original remarks, I don't really know the basis of Colvin's remarks. Mike Walsh ------------------------------ From: dougt@u011.oh.vp.com (Doug Tiffany) Date: Tue, 8 Oct 96 13:39:34 EDT Subject: Edwards Open House Schedule (Re:) BRENT CLARK writes: > EDWARDS OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE OCTOBER 19th WOW.....I for one wish I didn't live about 2000 miles away! - -- Hope for the best, expect the worst, and take what God gives you. Douglas J. Tiffany (dougt@u011.oh.vp.com) | I shaped the electrons this Varco-Pruden Buildings Van Wert, Ohio | way, not my employer. ------------------------------ From: jetguy1@ix.netcom.com (BRENT CLARK ) Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 10:32:54 -0700 Subject: Edwards Open House Schedule EDWARDS OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE OCTOBER 19th Gates Open 7:30 Radio Control Flying 7:45 OPENING CEREMONY Gen. Chuck Yeager in F-15 Breaking The Sound Barrier 10:00 Flag Jump 10:45 Survival School Parachute jump 11:00 TPS Glider Demo 11:10 AT-6 Texan Demo 11:20 F-117 (3-ship) Demo 11:30 Mig Speed Record Run 11:35 B-1 Demo 11:45 MIG's from Reno (2-ship) 12:00 Northern Lites Demo (Canadian Aerobatic Team) 12:30 Wings of Blue Parachute Demo 12:45 NASA SR-71 Takeoff 12:50 T-38 Demo Takeoff 13:00 TPS Demo Takeoff 13:15 Fighter/Attack Demo 13:10 TPS Formation Demo 13:15 SR-71 High Altitude Flyby Mach 3+ 13:20 418th Aerial Review 13:25 T-38 Demo 13:35 AFFTC Aeral Review 13:45 SR-71/F-18 Demo 13:55 F-16 Demo 14:10 F-15 Demo 14:25 A-10 Demo 14:40 B-2 Demo 14:55 C-17 Airdrop/Demo 15:00 Gates Close 16:30 Note: Aircraft demonstrations may be deleted or schedule changed but there is little chance that aircraft will be added. All times are conservative estimates. Timing will be finalzed as routines are practiced. No admission fee or parking fee. Many Air Force and NASA Experimental aircraft on display along with home-built aircraft. ------------------------------ From: Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 13:22:05 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: SPYPLANES, the review Wei-Jen Su wrote: >Missions of the US Spyplanes during the Cold War will be >unclassified in the year 2,010. and Chris Pocock responded: >Not if a number of historians and researchers - myself included - have >their way! >BTW, where did this 2010 story come from in the first place? I know Jay >Miller mentions it in one of his books... Maybe Jay can elaborate on that? I am not sure where the 2010 figure came from, but back in the mid '80s, I read (can't remember where), that the individual U-2 aircraft histories (no other aircraft were mentioned) would not be declassified for at least another 25 years. I was (at the time) under the impression, that this statement was based on FOIA responses from the USAF or CIA. Since then, much more data has surfaced, not only about the U-2s but also the Blackbird family. Also, the President's Executive Order, regarding the mandatory declassification (of almost any information) after 25 years, did not exist then. - -- Andreas - --- --- Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: schnars@ais.org 313 West Court St. #305 or: gpahl@raptor.csc.flint.umich.edu Flint, MI 48502-1239 Tel: (810) 238-8469 WWW URL: http://www.umcc.umich.edu/~schnars/ - --- --- ------------------------------ From: "Terry Colvin" Date: Tue, 08 Oct 96 10:45:34 GMT Subject: Married/Unmarried Pilots [was Re[2]:WINGS show on Discovery] __________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Re[2]: WINGS show on Discovery Author: Bill Riddle at FHU2 Date: 8/10/96 08:50 Well, that didn't stop Belinko (I think that was his name) from defecting with his MIG. _______________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Re: WINGS show on Discovery Author: Thomas Gauldin at smtp-fhu Date: 5/10/96 14:03 At 11:46 PM 10/4/96 -0400, Wei-Jen Su wrote: > > They are couple of new images. Most of it, from the U-2 missions >over Bosnia. > A new data that I found a little rare. In the program it say there >is two main requirement to be a SR-71 pilot, one of them: the pilot must be >married!!! Anyone know why it is a requirement??? > >> That comment didn't escape me last night, either. Could it possibly be to keep an American pilot from defecting? It sounds crazy, but could it be possible. I could see such a requirement in the former Soviet Union. . . "A pilot must be married and his wife and family will be held in protective custody whenever he commands a plane outside of our airspacr. . ." OTOH, what if the pilot's wife was mean and ugly? He might be tempted to escape from the USA just to get her in trouble. Tom Thomas A. Gauldin Here's to the land of the Longleaf Pine 12333 Wingspread Way The Summerland, where the sun doth Shine Raleigh NC 27614-9245 Where the weak grow Strong and the Strong grow Great (919) 676-1404 fax Here's to Downhome, the Old North State scoundrl@mindspring.com Please note the NEW ADDRESS ------------------------------ From: Nick Loadholtes Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 11:58:23 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: SPYPLANES, the review On Tue, 8 Oct 1996, Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl wrote: > Wei-Jen Su wrote: > > >Missions of the US Spyplanes during the Cold War will be > >unclassified in the year 2,010. > > and Chris Pocock responded: > > >Not if a number of historians and researchers - myself included - have > >their way! > >BTW, where did this 2010 story come from in the first place? I know Jay > >Miller mentions it in one of his books... I've heard that all classified information comes up for renewal (ie to be kept classified) every 12 years. But personally I think the 25 year estimate sounds a little bit better. ********************************************************************** Nick "I don't like this party...they won't njl@crl.com let me make the drinks..." http://www.crl.com/~njl -Kristin Hersh ------------------------------ From: Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 17:25:41 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Skunk Works Digest 5-682 Thanks to everyone who has responded to my request for Skunk Works Digest No. 5-682. Apparently, it was never sent out, and nobody has a copy. I copied the 9 posts, which would have been covered by this digest, into a file for my archive, as digest number '5-682x'. The nine posts are: * Sat orbits & flashers * Machs nix * Re: Machs nix * Whats that plane!! * RE: Machs nix :) * re: Whats that plane!! * I'M GETTING SKUNKED AGAINST MY WILL ! * re: Whats that plane!! * looping address removed from list If anyone wants the file, sent me an email. - -- Andreas - --- --- Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: schnars@ais.org 313 West Court St. #305 or: gpahl@raptor.csc.flint.umich.edu Flint, MI 48502-1239 Tel: (810) 238-8469 WWW URL: http://www.umcc.umich.edu/~schnars/ - --- --- ------------------------------ From: Gianluca Gambotto Date: Wed, 09 Oct 96 17:42:00 PDT Subject: Is this list still alive? ------------------------------ From: Greg Weigold Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 09:49:21 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Edwards Open House Schedule (Re:) On Tue, 8 Oct 1996, Doug Tiffany wrote: > BRENT CLARK writes: > > > EDWARDS OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE OCTOBER 19th > > > > WOW.....I for one wish I didn't live about 2000 miles away! > Me too! What a schedule!! Makes me want to fly out just for that!!! > > Hope for the best, expect the worst, and take what God gives you. > > > Douglas J. Tiffany (dougt@u011.oh.vp.com) | I shaped the electrons this > Varco-Pruden Buildings Van Wert, Ohio | way, not my employer. > > ===== Greg Weigold, Prog/Analyst Supr. ====== Policy Mgmt. Systems Corp. Columbia, SC 29202 voice:(803)-735-6952 fax:(803)-735-5788 or 5542 e-mail:aa103371@dasher.csd.sc.edu or gregweigold@pmsc.com ------------------------------ From: Wei-Jen Su Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 04:02:49 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Environmental Impact Statement Process Begins for Test Flights of X-33 Technology Demonstrator, Public Meetings Scheduled (fwd) For peoples interesting in the Skunk Works X-33, here is some information from NASA e-mail list service. May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@barney.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 15:13:53 -0400 From: NASA HQ Public Affairs Office To: press-release-edu2@venus.hq.nasa.gov Subject: Environmental Impact Statement Process Begins for Test Flights of X-33 Technology Demonstrator, Public Meetings Scheduled Jim Cast Headquarters, Washington, DC October 8, 1996 (Phone: 202/358-1779) Dom Amatore Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL (Phone: 205/544-0031) RELEASE: 96-202 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PROCESS BEGINS FOR TEST FLIGHTS OF X-33 TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR, PUBLIC MEETINGS SCHEDULED NASA Monday published in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the development and testing of the X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator. As part of the process, NASA plans to hold public meetings to gather comments for the EIS on proposed flight operations, takeoff and landing sites. The 273,000 pound, wedge-shaped X-33 is a prototype launch vehicle being developed under a cooperative agreement with NASA by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Palmdale, CA. The vehicle is part of NASA's Reusable Launch Vehicle program. As many as 15 flight tests of the X-33 are planned to originate from Edwards Air Force Base, CA, and land at sites in Southern California, Utah, and Montana or Washington beginning in early 1999. The proposed short-range landing sites under study are Silurian Lake, CA, and China Lake Naval Weapons Center, CA. The midrange landing site under study is Michael Army Air Field at Dugway Proving Ground, UT. The long-range landing sites under study are Moses Lake, WA, and Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT. Affected agencies and the public are encouraged to offer input to help identify and define any issues to be addressed in NASA's EIS analyses. The results of the analyses will be used in the decision-making process regarding the flight test program. The EIS is being prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, and NASA policy and regulations. The formal public comment period ends November 29, 1996, however, NASA will accept comments relevant to the analysis throughout the EIS Process, which is expected to conclude in September 1997. Written comments for inclusion in the final EIS may be mailed to: Dr. Rebecca C. McCaleb, Director Environmental Engineering and Management Office Code AE01 Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812. Comments may be forwarded for the EIS by faxing to 205/544-8259, or Emailing to: x33eis@msfc.nasa.gov Comments also may be provided by calling 1-800-833-0678 and leaving a message on the recording machine. NASA environmental officials will make their best effort to transcribe verbal comments -- however, they cannot guarantee the same accuracy as comments received in writing. The text of the NOI (Notice 96-118) can be accessed along with general information about the X-33 program at: http://rlv.msfc.nasa.gov The environmental documents also will be available for review at regional repositories listed in the NOI. A schedule of the public meetings follows on the next page. X-33 Public Meeting Schedule Helena, MT 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, 1996 Social Rehabilitative Services Auditorium Sanders Avenue (406) 444-3912 Great Falls, MT 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1996 Great Falls High School 1900 Second Ave. S. (406) 791-2167 Moses Lake, WA 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, 1996 Washington State National Guard Armory 6500 32nd Ave. N.E. (509) 766-2551 Dugway, UT 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, 1996 Post Theater Dugway Proving Ground (801) 831-3708 Tooele, UT 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1996 Tooele Senior Center 59 E. Vine St. (801) 882-2870 Salt Lake City, UT 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, 1996 Airport Quality Inn 5575 W. Amelia Earhart Drive (801) 537-7020 Lancaster, CA 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1996 Best Western Antelope Valley Inn 44055 N. Sierra Highway (805) 918-4651 Ridgecrest, CA 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 1996 Carriage Inn 901 N. China Lake Blvd. (619) 446-7910 Boron, CA 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, 1996 West Boron Elementary School 12300 Del Oro (619) 762-5430 Barstow, CA 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, 1996 Holiday Inn 1511 E. Main St. (619) 256-5673 - end - ------------------------------ From: JOHN SZALAY Date: Wed, 9 Oct 96 15:22:52 EDT Subject: other gift shops The questions was asked here if there are any other aircraft manufactures site with gift shops. Boeing has one at http://www.boeing.com/gifts/html/welcome.html And still looking... \\ ~ ~ // ( @ @ ) -----------oOOo-(_)-oOOo---------- | | | jpszalay@tacl.dnet.ge.com | | john.szalay@worldnet.att.net | ------------------Oooo.----------- .oooO ( ) ( ) ) / \ ( (_/ \_) ------------------------------ From: Wei-Jen Su Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 18:27:32 -0400 (EDT) Subject: NASA Seeks Industry Proposals for Hypersonic Flight Research Vehicles (fwd) Looks like NASA finally wants to build a air-breathing aircraft faster than SR-71 and even the X-15 in the "white world"!!! May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@barney.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 16:36:38 -0400 From: NASA HQ Public Affairs Office To: press-release-edu2@venus.hq.nasa.gov Subject: NASA Seeks Industry Proposals for Hypersonic Flight Research Vehicles Don Nolan-Proxmire Headquarters, Washington, DC October 9, 1996 (Phone: 202/358-1983) Keith Henry Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (Phone: 804/864-6120) Fred Brown Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA (Phone: 805/258-2663) RELEASE: 96-203 NASA SEEKS INDUSTRY PROPOSALS FOR HYPERSONIC FLIGHT RESEARCH VEHICLES NASA is poised to begin a multi-year hypersonic flight- test program by requesting proposals from industry for the fabrication of four unpiloted research aircraft that will fly up to ten times the speed of sound. The contract award is scheduled for early 1997. The selected contractor will be responsible for fabrication and flight-test support of the hypersonic experimental research vehicles to be called "Hyper-X." Each of the four vehicles will be approximately 12 feet long with a wing span of about five feet. Hypersonic speed is defined as above Mach 5, which is equivalent to about one mile-per-second, or approximately 3,600 miles per hour at sea level. The Hyper-X Phase I program -- an agency-wide effort to address one of the greatest aeronautical research challenges - -- is conducted jointly by NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA. Program managers hope to demonstrate technology that could ultimately be applied in vehicle types from hypersonic aircraft to reusable space launchers. "It's time to fly. This exciting, challenging, ground and flight research program will significantly expand the boundaries of air-breathing flight for the first time ever, by flying a scramjet-powered aircraft at hypersonic speeds," said Vince Rausch, the Hyper-X Phase I program manager. The first Hyper-X unpiloted, hypersonic, flight- research vehicle is scheduled to fly at Mach 7 in 1998. This is far faster than any air-breathing aircraft have ever flown. The world's fastest air-breathing aircraft, the SR-71, cruises slightly above Mach 3. The highest speed attained by NASA's rocket-powered X-15 was Mach 6.7. A rocket carries its own oxygen for combustion; an air-breathing aircraft burns oxygen in air scooped from the atmosphere. Because of this, air- breathing hypersonic vehicles should carry more cargo/payload than equivalent rocket-powered systems. The goal of the Hyper-X program is to validate key propulsion and related technologies for air-breathing hypersonic aircraft. Heading the list is the demonstration of a ramjet/scramjet engine, followed by validation of design tools and methods for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles. A ramjet operates by subsonic combustion of fuel in a stream of air compressed by the forward speed of the aircraft itself; as opposed to a normal jet engine, in which the compressor section (the fan blades) compresses the air. The fuel for Hyper-X will be hydrogen. A scramjet (supersonic-combustion ramjet) is a ramjet engine in which the airflow through the whole engine remains supersonic. Scramjet technology is challenging because only limited testing can be performed in ground facilities. Long duration, full-scale testing requires flight test speeds above Mach 8. Hyper-X will build knowledge, confidence and a technology bridge to very high Mach number flight. Hyper-X will ride on the first stage of a Pegasus booster rocket, which will be launched by the Dryden B-52 at about 40,000 feet. For each flight, the booster will accelerate the Hyper-X research vehicle to the test conditions (Mach 5, 7 or 10) at approximately 100,000 feet, where it will separate from the booster and fly under its own power. Four flights are planned - one each at Mach 5 and 7 and two at Mach 10. The flight tests will be conducted within the Western Test Range off the coast of southern California. Vehicle and engine ground tests and analyses will be performed prior to each flight in order to compare with flight and ground test results. In addition, the Hyper-X Mach 7 vehicle will first be tested in Langley's eight-foot High Temperature Wind Tunnel. The vehicle, with a fully operating ramjet/scramjet propulsion system, will be put through tests in the tunnel simulating many, but not all, Mach 7 flight conditions. -end- NASA press releases and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to domo@hq.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type the words "subscribe press-release" (no quotes). The system will reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. A second automatic message will include additional information on the service. NASA releases also are available via CompuServe using the command GO NASA. ------------------------------ End of Skunk Works Digest V5 #716 ********************************* To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@mail.orst.edu". If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-skunk-works": subscribe skunk-works-digest local-skunk-works@your.domain.net To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command: unsubscribe skunk-works-digest in the body. 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