How We Might Have Scramjets Sooner than Expected

loralai writes "Recent breakthroughs in scramjet engines could mean two-hour flights from New York to Tokyo. This technology, decades in the making, could redefine our understanding of air travel and military encounters. 'To put things in context, the world's fastest jet, the Air Force's SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, set a speed record of Mach 3.3 in 1990 when it flew from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in just over an hour. That's about the limit for jet engines; the fastest fighter planes barely crack Mach 1.6. Scramjets, on the other hand, can theoretically fly as fast as Mach 15--nearly 10,000 mph.'"

2 hours flight time, 10 hours airport time

[AuMatar]

Don't worry, between the security line, customs, delays, and waiting on the tarmac, you'll still be garunteed at least 10 hours at the airport for any trip.

We'll have scramjets in a couple years

[SpeedyGonz]

. . . and fusion power in 10 . . .

can we harness this technology

[circletimessquare]

for the intertubes, and move the information superhighway faster down the series of tubes, perhaps an advanced vacuum tube technology?

senators from alaska want to know

Sooner than expected?

[Chris Burke]

Nobody expects the scramjet engine!

Amazingly . . .

[StefanJ]

The incredible cost of fuel required to slam one of these puppies through the atmosphere is more than compensated for by the savings to the airline due to not having to serve more than one round of beverages.

10K MPH?

[ROU Nuisance Value]

"Scramjets, on the other hand, can theoretically fly as fast as Mach 15--nearly 10,000 mph"

Not in an atmosphere, they don't. Unless you think flying droplets of metal and scorched fragments of composites still counts as a "scramjet".

hitting a duck

[bl8n8r]

I wonder what hitting a duck at 10,000 mph would be like.

Re:SR-71 Blackbird

[Hamilton Lovecraft]

I've heard stories that imply that the true top speed of SR-71 is somewhere closer to M5 or M8

I've heard stories that UFOs are real.

Re:Wrong, wrong, wrong

[Sciros]

Well, I said fact-checking was *your* friend. Not mine. :P

Re:10000mph!

[Kenshin]

Maybe where YOU come from.

Re:hitting a duck

[Anonymous Coward]

Quack.

Re:can we harness this technology

[meringuoid]

Never underestimate the bandwidth of a scramjet full of DVDs...

Re:SR-71 Blackbird

[Garridan]

a) You met a total nutjob who claimed to be a SR-71 pilot, and you believed him?

b) Of course that's who the government hires to fly their uber-secret missions. What kind of idiot would believe a total nutjob?

Re:hitting a duck

[PPH]

I suppose that would depend on whether the collision occurred while overtaking the duck or head-on. In the first case, the duck's velocity would have to be subtracted from that of the airplane. In the latter, the velocities would be added.

Re:Scramjets are only a small piece of the puzzle

[loftwyr]

I'd also hate to feel the g forces that kind of acceleration would give when I'm trying to drink my rum and coke.

Yes, but

[nobodymk2]

You need to travel about 100,000ft to get to 100,000ft, depending on initial attitude and how mean sea level is measured. So that means 2 hours of take off, 2 hours of landing, 30 seconds of flight, and, 2 hours to get to the airport, 2 hours of waiting for security, 2 hours of weather delays (it always is miserable when you fly), etc etc. I saw in a TIME Magazine article that another contributing factor to air travel delay is the fact that planes can't fly in a straight line. They can't fly straight from Boston to Washington DC, even. They have to fly between control and radio towers most of the time, so it's more like a jagged line to stay within the different control tower's radii. How they travel oversees, I do not know. I am willing to be enlightened by anyone who does know about this, in addition to an article about the flying-between-control towers procedure.

Re:SR-71 Blackbird

[bh_doc]

Jesus, imagine what would happen to their natural habitats if the energy companies start chasing down pixies harvesting their magic dust. Leave the pixies alone!

Re:hitting a duck

[nitro316]

yeah you gotta watch out for that air speed velocity of a duck. Just got make sure if its an African or European Duck.

As opposed to a ScreamJet

[hyades1]

Which launches at similar velocity when a short skirt, thong underwear, inattention toward the family pet, and a dog's standard mode of greeting all come into unfortunate juxtaposition.

Re:SR-71 Blackbird

[ultranova]

Japanese condoms are far superior to the condoms in the US. The difference is astonishing.

They have to be; how else would they fit on a tentacle of any size ?-)

Re:SR-71 Blackbird

[gstoddart]

It is wise to keep the wingtips inside of the shock, lest they be ripped off.

*laugh* Has anyone ever told you that you have an astounding gift for understatement??

Yes, it's wise to ensure that your supersonic craft doesn't get ripped to shreds at its flight speeds. That's just too funny. =)

Cheers