Boeing hypersonic demonstrator model at AIAA SciTech 2018

[Flyaway]

Now this is an unexpected development.

Boeing Unveils Hypersonic ‘Son-Of-Blackbird’ Contender

ORLANDO, Florida—Amid continuing signs of a significant upswing in U.S. hypersonic research and development, Boeing has revealed first details of a reusable Mach 5-plus demonstrator vehicle design that could pave the way for a future high-speed strike and reconnaissance ...

Although initially independently funded by Boeing, development of the hypersonic vehicle concept is continuing under Darpa’s Advanced Full Range Engine (AFRE) initiative and a closely-related turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) flight demonstration concept study run by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Boeing’s engine partner for the concept is Orbital ATK, which in September 2017 was awarded a $21.4 million contract for the AFRE program. Boeing began work on the AFRL TBCC flight demonstrator concept study, with Orbital ATK as a subcontractor, in 2016.

“The propulsion system determines the length of the vehicle,” says Tom Smith, Boeing Research and Technology chief hypersonic aircraft designer. Although Boeing declines to discuss specific aspects of the design, the broad inlets and wide lower fuselage-mounted nacelle suggest the turbine and DMRJ in each TBCC engine are housed side-by-side rather than arranged in an over-under configuration.

The inward-turning inlets are positioned to capture the initial shockwave from the nose of the vehicle, while the sharply swept forebody chines are contoured into the relatively large-span delta wing to provide waveriding capability at hypersonic speed and sufficient lift for landing and takeoff at subsonic speed. The term waverider refers to a design in which the vehicle rides the shockwave attached to the leading edge, thus benefiting from lower induced drag. “As the narrow chine transitions to the wing, that produces a good vortex, which you care about at low speed,” Smith says.

http://m.aviationweek.com/defense/boeing-unveils-hypersonic-son-blackbird-contender

 

[fightingirish]

Re: Boeing hypersonic demonstrator

Now this is an unexpected development.

Boeing Unveils Hypersonic ‘Son-Of-Blackbird’ Contender

ORLANDO, Florida—Amid continuing signs of a significant upswing in U.S. hypersonic research and development, Boeing has revealed first details of a reusable Mach 5-plus demonstrator vehicle design that could pave the way for a future high-speed strike and reconnaissance ...

http://m.aviationweek.com/defense/boeing-unveils-hypersonic-son-blackbird-contender

Here a picture from the aboved source.

 

[Flyaway]

Re: Boeing hypersonic demonstrator

What’s striking is how similar it is LM’s design. I suppose function informs form in a similar way.

 

[Ogami musashi]

Re: Boeing hypersonic demonstrator

Upper side from Guy Norris and Graham Warwick

https://twitter.com/x/status/951176880304082945

View: https://twitter.com/AvWeekGuy/status/951176880304082945

https://twitter.com/x/status/951211721917632514

View: https://twitter.com/TheWoracle/status/951211721917632514

 

[Hanse]

Re: Boeing hypersonic demonstrator

Assuming this is anything more than a pretty model for trade shows, I wonder if it has any McDonnell Douglas lineage.

 

[flateric]

Assuming this is anything more than a pretty model for trade shows

I doubt that looking at photos

 

[DrRansom]

The major difference compared to the Lockheed design is that the forebody looks much more like a waverider.

From the two designs, it appears that both teams struggled with low-speed and transonic flight.

 

[Hanse]

From the two designs, it appears that both teams struggled with low-speed and transonic flight.

What indicates that?

 

[DrRansom]

What indicates that?

Area-ruling, in contradiction to all hypersonic glider designs, and the mention of low-speed vortices from the chine and wing, specifically mentioned in the interview.

Also, I remember the Boeing hypersonics vehicle guy mentioning transonic acceleration as a design constraint.

 

[Flyaway]

What indicates that?

Area-ruling, in contradiction to all hypersonic glider designs, and the mention of low-speed vortices from the chine and wing, specifically mentioned in the interview.

Also, I remember the Boeing hypersonics vehicle guy mentioning transonic acceleration as a design constraint.

Who do you think has the advantage in what now looks like a competition LM or Boeing?

 

[DrRansom]

Boeing's design looks better, but for advantage? We're so far away from having certain key technologies ready that one can hardly tell when this project will go forward.

 

[Flyaway]

Boeing's design looks better, but for advantage? We're so far away from having certain key technologies ready that one can hardly tell when this project will go forward.

Most of the technology is here just in different places. It’s more a case of getting the disparate parts to work together as anything else.

 

[DrRansom]

Boeing's design looks better, but for advantage? We're so far away from having certain key technologies ready that one can hardly tell when this project will go forward.

Most of the technology is here just in different places. It’s more a case of getting the disparate parts to work together as anything else.

A key technology for the airplane is totally unproven, part of it is unproven at scale. There are other, less obvious but still critical, gaps as well.

 

[Flyaway]

Boeing's design looks better, but for advantage? We're so far away from having certain key technologies ready that one can hardly tell when this project will go forward.

Most of the technology is here just in different places. It’s more a case of getting the disparate parts to work together as anything else.

A key technology for the airplane is totally unproven, part of it is unproven at scale. There are other, less obvious but still critical, gaps as well.

The only problem with that proposition is the assumption that we know everything that’s been developed for these projects, which by their very natures seems unlikely.

New article with a Boeing illustration of the concept.

"Son of Blackbird": Boeing Reveals Hypersonic Concept That Could Replace SR-71

Boeing showed off a scaled concept model of its hypersonic strike and reconnaissance aircraft design.

www.popularmechanics.com

 

[Hanse]

Boeing's design looks better, but for advantage? We're so far away from having certain key technologies ready that one can hardly tell when this project will go forward.

Most of the technology is here just in different places. It’s more a case of getting the disparate parts to work together as anything else.

A key technology for the airplane is totally unproven, part of it is unproven at scale. There are other, less obvious but still critical, gaps as well.

The only way you get from "unproven" to "proven" is to build hardware and test. Waiting around for a miracle to land a "proven" hypersonic aircraft on a silver platter without doing anything will get you nowhere.

 

[DrRansom]

The only way you get from "unproven" to "proven" is to build hardware and test. Waiting around for a miracle to land a "proven" hypersonic aircraft on a silver platter without doing anything will get you nowhere.

You misunderstand me, there are unproven technologies so we can't assess which project is ahead of the other.

However, the development program is vital as it shows what technologies need to be developed, a much better situation than the past where research was thrown without any idea what was necessary.

Heck, I think they should be going faster, make rocket boosted scramjet recon drone in parallel and faster than the combined cycle aircraft. The pentagon should plan for developing a hypersonic system every year to push development that fast, think of 1930s or 1950s development pace. Much if the problems will only be clarified and solved by building and deploying.

 

[flateric]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1964059776955883

View: https://www.facebook.com/Boeing/videos/1964059776955883/

http://www.boeing.com/features/2018/01/hypersonics-01-18.page

 

[Flyaway]

Hypersonic Race Heats With Boeing Reusable Demonstrator Concept

Boeing is raising the stakes in the accelerating race for U.S. hypersonic leadership by positioning itself to develop a potential future Mach 5-plus strike-and-reconnaissance aircraft. The move, which was signaled by the unexpected unveiling of a reusable hypersonic demonstrator concept vehicle at an aerospace science and research conference in Florida in early January, directly challenges Lockheed Martin. In 2013, Lockheed revealed plans to develop a Mach 6 successor to the long-retired ...

http://m.aviationweek.com/defense/hypersonic-race-heats-boeing-reusable-demonstrator-concept

 

[fredymac]

Facebook video presentation. The business model isn't discussed but basically it boils down to someone else pays for the research. No venture capital means Boeing is still treating this as a "vehicle" for government contracts.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H79Yj6Ja1E8

 

[Archibald]

To quote the Monty Python (about Camelot) "it's only a model"

 

[Sundog]

Boeing has refined their design, from Guy Norris, writer for AvWeek on Twitter;

Four years after first unveiling its hypersonic airliner concept at #AIAASciTech 2018@Boeing has revealed a refined, more realistic Mach 5 reusable air-breathing design targeting military and space launch roles at @aiaa San Diego event

Here's the link to the original Tweet.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1478489605972193280

View: https://twitter.com/AvWeekGuy/status/1478489605972193280?s=20

 

[publiusr]

SLS probably helped pay for that-black budget for production?

 

[X-39]

NASA Unveils High Supersonic Transport Technology Project | Aviation Week Network

Two U.S. aerospace industry teams have been awarded NASA contracts to study technology for sustainable high-speed airliner designs capable of Mach 2-plus.

aviationweek.com

Interesting times ahead...

Two U.S. aerospace industry teams have been awarded NASA contracts to study technology for sustainable high-speed airliner designs capable of Mach 2-plus under the research agency’s Advanced Air Vehicle’s Program.

The teams, led by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, are charged with developing technology roadmaps covering key elements including airframe, power, propulsion, thermal management, and composite materials that can operate at high Mach speeds.

Boeing’s team includes supersonic aircraft developer Exosonic, GE Aerospace, Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory and Rolls-Royce North America.

The Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems team includes Blue Ridge Research and Consulting, supersonic airliner developer Boom Supersonic, and Rolls-Royce North America.

 

[gemccry]

Hmm-Rolls-Royce is on both teams, and no sign of LockeedMartin.

 

[Sundog]

Hmm-Rolls-Royce is on both teams, and no sign of LockeedMartin.

Which tells me that this is probably just a cover program for something being built by LM.

 

[flateric]

...