UK Hypersonic Air Vehicle Experimental (HVX) Programme

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timmymagic

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Rolls Royce Press Release

Farnborough, 18 July 2022 - Reaction Engines, Rolls-Royce, the Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), the UK Government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the UK’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) have announced new details of their joint programme to deliver significant enhancements to UK defence capabilities through the development of innovative hypersonic technologies.

Building on the pioneering high-speed propulsion technologies and extensive research and development capabilities of the partners, the Hypersonic Air Vehicle Experimental (HVX) Programme aims to establish the UK as a leader in reusable hypersonic air systems.

Supported by funding from NSSIF, an agile project team has been established to rapidly develop critical high-Mach/hypersonic technologies, including novel air-breathing propulsion architectures, innovative thermal management systems and advanced vehicle concepts. In addition, a full-scale experimental engine test campaign has now commenced.

HVX’s immediate objective is to rapidly mature technologies which can deliver a step-change reduction in the cost of developing a reusable high-Mach/hypersonic air vehicle. Reaction Engines’ novel precooler and SABRE combined-cycle engine technologies are key foundations for the Programme. In combination with Rolls-Royce’s world-beating gas turbine technology, this brings a formidable capability to take on the challenging problems inherent with hypersonic flight.

Additionally, the Programme is undertaking design work on experimental hypersonic vehicle concepts. At the Farnborough International Air Show a single engine hypersonic concept vehicle – “Concept V” has been unveiled. This example vehicle is one of a number of concept designs in active development by the Programme.

It is expected that the HVX Programme will be expanded to include other leading aerospace companies to ensure that additional expertise is deployed to support the delivery of this breakthrough technology. The Programme also aims to ensure that the technologies developed can be utilised by other high Mach/hypersonic applications, having synergy with space access and rapid point-to-point transportation.

Air Vice-Marshal Linc Taylor, Chief of Staff Air Capability, Royal Air Force, said: "This activity presents a unique opportunity to experiment with pioneering UK technology to inform the art of the possible and challenge traditional views on the cost and time associated with development and fielding of high-Mach platforms. This partnership benefits from a series of aligned initiatives, integrating world class skills and technologies on a series of near-term experimentations to inform our future capability planning."

Mark Thomas, Chief Executive of Reaction Engines, said: “Reaction Engines is excited to be leading this ambitious, future-focused, programme with the Rapid Capabilities Office and Strategic Partners, bringing together the best of the best in technology, talent and innovation, to provide the UK with a unique capability in reusable hypersonic systems”

John Wardell, Director Future Programmes, of Rolls-Royce, said: “This collaboration will enable Rolls-Royce to work effectively alongside Reaction Engines and our strategic partners to develop innovative and cutting-edge technologies that will provide our customers with the equipment needed to meet their military requirements. The HVX Programme will bring together an unique opportunity to raise the UK’s profile in our ability to develop both the skills and technology in the fast evolving area.”

Steve Simm, Air Systems Programme Manager of Dstl, said: “Dstl is pleased to be involved in this exciting project, through three main aspects: use of MOD research funding to understand potential air system concepts and their feasibility; exploring potential operational utility of these concepts; maximising exploitation of the wider S&T Portfolio, such as the Hypersonics Weapons Research Programme.”

The Programme commenced in June 2021 through an initial investment by NSSIF and, to date, has seen the development of novel high-Mach/hypersonic air-breathing engine architectures and rapid progress on an integrated gas-turbine thermal management experimental rig.
 

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Is there anything new here? Seems to me HVX is just getting our existing ducks in a row, to try and ensure that the spenders-of-our-money and the engine makers are a little better informed about each other. Note the lack of any actual airframe manufacturer or systems house in the group. Suggests the Concept V is about as practical as Skylon.
 
steelpillow said:
Note the lack of any actual airframe manufacturer or systems house in the group. Suggests the Concept V is about as practical as Skylon.
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The project appears challenging with someone to design and build an airframe.

At least with HOTOL the UK cut its losses early
 
Reaction Engines’ novel precooler and SABRE combined-cycle engine technologies are key foundations for the Programme

It'll be interesting to see what its plumbing looks like. Obviously there's some separation between the inlet and the exhaust which is much greater than in the podded engines of Skylon or its 2STO derivative system. This BAE proposal from a few years ago was hardly a detailed concept, but worth comparing.

BAEhypersonic.png
 
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According to the BBC, the thermal management tech is the Reaction Engines stuff. There do not appear to be any other technical partners outside the engine team, unless DSTL have some of their own research up their sleeves.

Apparently the heat exchanger was tried out on an EJ200, as used in the Eurofighter, a few years back. Is this the first we have heard of that project?

www.bbc.co.uk

UK studies reusable hypersonic military jet technology

Aeroengineers hope to develop an uncrewed air vehicle that could deliver payloads at very high speed.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
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steelpillow said:
Apparently the heat exchanger was tried out on an EJ200, as used in the Eurofighter, a few years back. Is this the first we have heard of that project?
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There was brief mention of the EJ200 precooler project back in 2019 here https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ine-skylon-spaceplane.2455/page-8#post-367099

There have been brief mentions since of the 2019 contract in connection with early Tempest engine studies but no indications it actually became hardware: https://www.defensenews.com/global/...elusive-prospect-of-a-hypersonic-fighter-jet/

It could be the BBC confusing the 2019 DARPA tests with the 2019 EJ200 cooler contract.
 

UK Unveils HVX Hypersonic Demonstrator Plan | Aviation Week Network

The project builds on an earlier initiative announced in 2019 by the UK Defense Ministry.
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com

Although specifics of the propulsion concept are not revealed Thomas says the new propulsion system “blends our heat exchanger technology with Rolls-Royce’s gas turbine expertise. It is very related to the work we set off to do in 2018-19 and is a natural evolution to something that is ultra-low cost and very rapid in terms of development and demonstration.”

The proposed baseline combined-cycle engine is expected to consist of a gas turbine core integrated with the Reaction precooler system. The turbine will be used to propel the vehicle from a standing start on the runway to a mode transition speed–likely in the Mach 3 range–upon which the engine will be cocooned and thrust provided by a ramjet/ramburner. Reaction is believed to be exploring the potential use of the turbine and precooler, even after isolating it, to provide thermal control and power for on-board systems and weapons.

Cold (ambient) flow tests of the integrated heat exchanger and an unidentified donor gas turbine is already underway. “That will evolve through this year to the point where we can go to a hot [rig] test and ultimately to a flight test,” Thomas says.

Although Mach 5 speeds and above are targeted, Taylor says “that doesn't need to be achieved in one go of course. If I gold plate everything it will take 20 years to get there. But we also need to understand the value of whichever Mach number we choose, whether it is 6, 8 or 10—whatever we look to achieve. We need to understand why we are going for that based on evidence and this is what this gives you. What we do want to prove is that sweet spot of ultra-low cost with hypersonic reusable technologies."

The vision full-scale demonstrator and potentially initial operational vehicle is thought to be targeted at around 9 m (30 ft.) long with a 4-m (13-ft.) wingspan. A model of the concept was unveiled at Farnborough.
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steelpillow said:
Is there anything new here? Seems to me HVX is just getting our existing ducks in a row, to try and ensure that the spenders-of-our-money and the engine makers are a little better informed about each other. Note the lack of any actual airframe manufacturer or systems house in the group. Suggests the Concept V is about as practical as Skylon.
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There are actual hardware developments from REL as well see my post in the relevant thread about SABRE.
 
For the sake of clarity is HVX going to be vehicle they’ve always talked about building under a new name for testing out a full up propulsion system?
 
Flyaway said:
For the sake of clarity is HVX going to be vehicle they’ve always talked about building under a new name for testing out a full up propulsion system?
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Based on my reading of the above, no. Reaction Engines is contributing the precooler technology but HVX/Rigel/Concept V is not a full SABRE test vehicle. Instead, it is likely meant to be the precursor to an RAF hypersonic strike/recon UAV.

FYI, the image below is of what would have been such a test vehicle. In the bottom image, the top two are Skylon and the LAPCAT hypersonic airliner study.

flight_2.jpg Skylon_LApcat_UAV_Side-1.jpg
 
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Books people should be ordering right now. They give excellent precedents and context. #5, mainly devoted to MUSTARD (and essential for this reason alone) has plenty on hypersonic projects.
 

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i think it illustrates perfectly how way to many money have gone to so few (to plagiarize someone we all know)...

Thanks God, there is Tempest.
 
Any news on this during the last year? I know the MoD set aside £1bn of funding for Hypersonic Strike weapons earlier this month but not heard anything about the demonstrator since Farnborough. R&D possibly going to get rolled into the AUKUS Hypersonic pillar?
 
Hobbes said:
This shows the two main pressure hulls, and the holes for the missile tubes between them. I'd always assumed the missile tubes would be inside the pressure hulls, and I had a mental image of the two pressure hulls filling the entire space in the hull.
Does that mean the silos would fill with water when the sub was submerged, or was each silo a pressure vessel?
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The missile tubes are pressure vessels, and will fill with water once the missile is fired. There should be a missile compensation system to rapidly adjust trim as missiles fire off. Which way it works depends on whether the missile is lighter than the volume of water replacing it like the Trident 1, or heavier than that volume of water like the Trident 2.

You don't want to expose a missile to much more than 150ft of sea pressure.
 
Reaction Engines been doing loads of stuff under contract in the US thats had a lot of coverage but its the first time ive seen a mention of the UK's unmanned Hypersonic demonstrator aircraft since it was announced.
 
I did not know that Reaction Engines has been doing stuf in the US WatcherZero, I only know them through their work on Skylon and the SABER engine in the UK.
 
They have received Air Force Research Laboratory and DARPA contracts for their pre-cooler technology development over the last decade which has enabled a US ground testing program cooling a Mach 5 1300 degree airflow as well as ESA contracts that have enabled UK development. Their latest 2021 US R&D contract is to take an existing jet engine and get it to operate upto Mach 4.
 
WatcherZero said:
Reaction Engines been doing loads of stuff under contract in the US thats had a lot of coverage but its the first time ive seen a mention of the UK's unmanned Hypersonic demonstrator aircraft since it was announced.
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The CEO was on a podcast back in April where he gave an update.

Ep.171 - Reaction Engines

<p><strong>With the UK leading aerospace company Reaction Engines now leading the way in technology application from space rockets to Formula 1 and into today’s market for sustainable flight, we have an exclusive opportunity to speak to Mark Thomas, Reaction Engines Chief Executive Officer...
player.fm player.fm

The HVX stuff starts about -27:50

TLDR; Work is full-on with ground-tests of subsystems ongoing. The actual project being worked on is even more exciting than the Concept V idea they are showing in public. "When that does get a reveal, I think it will blow people out of their seats." The plan is to fly within 5 years of project start.
 
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