Scramjet-powered X-51A Waverider missile breaks Mach 5 record

CS Monitor ^ | 5-27-10 | Matthew Shaer

[WOBBLY BOB]

On Wednesday morning, a US Air Force X-51A Waverider missile sustained speeds of Mach 5 for more than 200 seconds, the US Air Force has announced. The X-51A Waverider, which was launched over the southern California coast, is powered by next-gen scramjet technology.

[WOBBLY BOB]

mount a Waverider on a Wavejammer and you could really get across the lake fast.

[edcoil]

Or just this:

http://www.bladerider.com.au/

[GeronL]

The US Navy should think about this. Sounds like a great anti-ship kinetic weapon.

[Squantos]

Seems a different report had them missing that mark......I will try an find a link .

Hope it made it as this version states.

[edcoil]

Cool looking Scramjet:

http://www.hufos.net/images/scramjet.jpg

[Blueflag]

Designed for very high altitude operation, not near sea level.

Scramjet thrives on rarified air, and the skin of the ‘missile’ won’t heat up and melt like it would at lower, denser altitudes.

Since this airship IS an AIR BREATHER, I think it is wrong to call it a missile.

[battousai]

Obambi must be trying to find a way to cancel this program right about now. After he doesn’t want the US having such high-tech weapons, why it would just be so unfair...

[Bean Counter]

my thoughts exactly. Although anything delivered straight down at that speed would be an amazing impact to witness, from a distance...

[WOBBLY BOB]

This missle is even faster than his plummeting poll numbers and he hates competition.

[GeronL]

I can imagine it might do well flying straight down at the taget ship.

[GeronL]

yes it would, cool too

[A.A. Cunningham]

scramjet

[NorCoGOP]

Wow!

...almost as fast as Obama's shifting stories on what problem he "wakes up to everyday" and "goes to sleep thinking about" everyday...

First it was the stimulus, then healthcare, then Haiti, now the oilspill...

[Blueflag]

Ah! good idea.

[anymouse]

Cool toy.

[PreciousLiberty]

“Since this airship IS an AIR BREATHER, I think it is wrong to call it a missile.”

It should probably be called a “cruise missile”, the Tomahawk is an air breather also as is the ALCM.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[chiefqc]

Yea, in mac daddies way of thinking for the price of one of these he could buy an entire mountain of rocks that the American military could throw at its enemy while they are shooting at them.

With all that savings he could bail out another 100 looser companies.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Osama will cancel that thing of beauty.

[Waverunner]

That would be a Waverunner ( just like mine)