Mach 5 Scramjet Missile Fails, Again

[Joe]

www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/08/x-51a/

"A crucial test for the Air Force’s experimental Mach-5 missile has ended in failure, according to the Air Force. Tuesday’s test is also the third time the hypersonic X-51A Waverider cruise missile has fallen short. But this time could be the last."

A control fin failed before the scramjet even got started.

[Tom Goodrick]

I sure hope they don't cancel the project just because of this little problem. It really was irrelevant. The thing to be determined is if they can make all components hold together against the heat. they have been trying to get this sort of thing tested since before I retired (16 years ago). The problem has been keeping temperatures low enough so materials hold together for the control surfaces and for parts of the engines. it is the sort of thing they just have to try again and again with little improvements after each failure. First they have to determine the temperatures seen on all parts and then find ways to make the parts to withstand the heat. They are dealing with totally unknown phenomena.