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X-51A WaveRider
Boeing · USA
The X-51A was dropped from a B-52 and accelerated by a rocket before its scramjet ignited. It "rode" its own shockwave (hence WaveRider) to maintain compression and combustion at Mach 5, proving that JP-7 jet fuel could be used for sustained hypersonic flight.
Technical Specifications
| First Flight | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Max Speed | 6,200 km/h (Mach 5.1) |
| Range | 740 km |
| Ceiling | 21,300 m |
| Engines | 1x Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne SJY61 scramjet |
Armament & Payload
None (Test platform).
Next Aircraft in Timeline
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (Testing) →
Other
X-51A WaveRider
Boeing · USA
The X-51A was dropped from a B-52 and accelerated by a rocket before its scramjet ignited. It "rode" its own shockwave (hence WaveRider) to maintain compression and combustion at Mach 5, proving that JP-7 jet fuel could be used for sustained hypersonic flight.
Technical Specifications
| First Flight | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Max Speed | 6,200 km/h (Mach 5.1) |
| Range | 740 km |
| Ceiling | 21,300 m |
| Engines | 1x Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne SJY61 scramjet |
Armament & Payload
None (Test platform).