Author Topic: Hermeus hypersonic plane  (Read 28419 times)

Offline Rocket Science

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #40 on: 11/11/2021 11:36 pm »
They handed out hearing protection to the attendees but should have added "eye protection" due to the host's "loud" jacket... ;D
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Offline darkenfast

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #41 on: 11/12/2021 01:33 am »
No shock diamonds? Didn't look too tied down either.

I'm skeptical about the "prototype" claim as well, but to be honest, there are two heavy chains running to large concrete blocks behind the item.
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Offline Asteroza

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #42 on: 05/19/2022 10:27 am »
Some retro-future pseudo vintage marketing art...

https://twitter.com/hermeuscorp/status/1526938601870831621

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Offline CameronD

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #44 on: 05/31/2022 12:45 am »
No shock diamonds? Didn't look too tied down either.

I'm skeptical about the "prototype" claim as well, but to be honest, there are two heavy chains running to large concrete blocks behind the item.

Of course they have to put some kind of hold-back in place...  Folks really aren't that gullible.

Money...

Well.. maybe they are.  Well done, Hermeus! :o
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline john smith 19

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #45 on: 09/24/2022 01:16 pm »
I noticed a lot of Brass watching that unveiling.

Clearly a major source of future funding and/or customers are the military.
Well yes, the USAF part that's putting up some of the funding for this is the part that runs Air Force One.

You could be looking at the new ride for POTUS in the future.  :)
MCT ITS BFR SS. The worlds first Methane fueled FFSC engined CFRP SS structure A380 sized aerospaceplane tail sitter capable of Earth & Mars atmospheric flight.First flight to Mars by end of 2022 TBC. T&C apply. Trust nothing. Run your own #s "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof" R. Simberg."Competitve" means cheaper ¬cheap SCramjet proposed 1956. First +ve thrust 2004. US R&D spend to date > $10Bn. #deployed designs. Zero.

Offline john smith 19

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #46 on: 09/24/2022 01:52 pm »
I'd been offliine so thought I'd just revisit this one. Taking a look around their website they like to say it's built on legacy tech. The J85-21 has indeed been around for a long time and it's civilian variant had powered quite a few lear jets.

I saw this page. It suggests they have tested the engine package (or someone has tested an engine package) of pre-cooler turbojet and ram burner to SR-71 speed, but only the ramburner above that.

Since it's been known that ramjets can fly to at least M5 since the 60's (if not the 50's) this is not exactly pushing the known (and known for a very long time) SoA.

I've also added Kelly Johnsons memoir of the SR-71 development process, along with similar one for the J58 at the end.

[EDIT. One thing Lockheed didn't seem to have was diffusion bonding of Titanium. That was being worked out by North American Aviation's LA site. That included the break-even point between hogging out and assembly in computer costing programs  and ways to reuse metal support bars between different evacuated tool assemblies. One obvious question was why didn't they use thinner metal to make the tooling packs out of. The didn't need to be very thick at all. This could significantly increase flexiiblity and speed of mfg since Hermeus say they are planning to make the full size one of Ti alloy. ]

The last attachment is a longer history and break down of some of the issues of SR71 design and build.

Remember Boom cut top speed to M1.7 to make the job easier, but Hermeus pushes it about 1.5x higher than the Blackbird.

One side point that Concorde engineers noted. Using tin/lead solder melted at 188c, meaning anything hotter than this would start to fall apart unless cooled. Yet another practical reason to keep the speed down.  Historically NASA have been weary of solder and use crimping and actual welding for wiring.  Modern lead-free solders melt at 217°C/422°F. Don't know if that's good enough for M5.

Hermeus are claiming their Quarterhorse test drone will do flight tests from 2023, but I don't think they've mentioned what speed it can reach.

« Last Edit: 09/29/2022 08:59 am by john smith 19 »
MCT ITS BFR SS. The worlds first Methane fueled FFSC engined CFRP SS structure A380 sized aerospaceplane tail sitter capable of Earth & Mars atmospheric flight.First flight to Mars by end of 2022 TBC. T&C apply. Trust nothing. Run your own #s "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof" R. Simberg."Competitve" means cheaper ¬cheap SCramjet proposed 1956. First +ve thrust 2004. US R&D spend to date > $10Bn. #deployed designs. Zero.

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #47 on: 10/03/2022 05:39 pm »
https://twitter.com/hermeuscorp/status/1576989113084960768

Quote
You'd be surprised how many tubes we have to bend. Like, so many tubes.
 
Luckily, our new tube bending machine is up and running, and the team is pretty stoked.

Offline john smith 19

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #48 on: 10/03/2022 08:37 pm »
https://twitter.com/hermeuscorp/status/1576989113084960768

Quote
You'd be surprised how many tubes we have to bend. Like, so many tubes.
 
Luckily, our new tube bending machine is up and running, and the team is pretty stoked.
I really wouldn't.  IIRC a CNC pipe bender was one of SX's first big purchases. It's a very sensible idea if you want to make repeatable complex 3d shapes reliably.

But if they are still going with a pre-cooler those pipes will have have to be a lot smaller than the stuff in the clip. The stuff in the Reaction pre-cooler has a wall thickness of about 0.001".

OTOH if they can make a pre-cooler work (which they seem to have de-emphasised on their website) then there is less of a need to use legacy, non air-cooled turbojets. The pre-cooler in front means (in principle) you could use any modern engine as the air at the compressor front face would be at standard conditions. On take off you would probably bypass the pre-cooler as the air is not especially hot, progressively routing more and more of the fuel flow through it before it got to the engine.
[EDIT. BTW that think they showed on the video is a non-flying version of Quarterhorse. Flight capable versions are supposedly coming in 2023. Not exactly sure what it's purpose is, or why it needs to be anchored by concrete blocks if it's non-flying.  :(  ]

I'll look forward to their first test flight.
« Last Edit: 10/08/2022 08:32 pm by john smith 19 »
MCT ITS BFR SS. The worlds first Methane fueled FFSC engined CFRP SS structure A380 sized aerospaceplane tail sitter capable of Earth & Mars atmospheric flight.First flight to Mars by end of 2022 TBC. T&C apply. Trust nothing. Run your own #s "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof" R. Simberg."Competitve" means cheaper ¬cheap SCramjet proposed 1956. First +ve thrust 2004. US R&D spend to date > $10Bn. #deployed designs. Zero.

Offline su27k

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #49 on: 11/21/2022 02:37 am »
https://www.hermeus.com/press-release-tbcc-milestone

HERMEUS COMPLETES HYPERSONIC MILESTONE WITH ENGINE TESTS

Hermeus has demonstrated turbojet to ramjet transition within its engine, Chimera. This is one of the most important technological feats to making operational hypersonic flight a reality.

Chimera is a turbine-based combined cycle engine (TBCC) – which basically means it’s a hybrid between a turbojet and a ramjet. The ability to switch between these two modes allows Hermeus’ first aircraft, Quarterhorse, to take off from a regular runway and then accelerate up to high-Mach speeds.

The cost and speed at which the Hermeus team achieved this milestone is notable. Hermeus designed, built, and tested Chimera in 21 months for $18 million.

“This achievement is a major technical milestone for Hermeus,” said CEO AJ Piplica. “But more than that, it’s a proof point that demonstrates how our small team can rapidly design, build, and test hardware with budgets significantly smaller than industry peers.”

The testing took place at the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory which provides heated air to simulate high-Mach temperatures and pressures.

“The Notre Dame facility allowed us to create conditions similar to what we’ll see in flight,” said CTO Glenn Case. “Completing this testing on the ground significantly de-risks our Quarterhorse flight test campaign which will begin late next year.”


WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ENGINE “TRANSITIONS”?

At low speeds Chimera is in turbojet mode – just like any jet aircraft. But as the temperature and the speed of the incoming air increase, turbojets hit their performance limit. This happens at around Mach 2.

Chimera has a pre-cooler that reduces the temperature of the air coming into the turbojet. This allows Hermeus to squeeze out a bit more performance from the turbojet before transitioning to ramjet.

At around Mach 3, Chimera begins to bypass the incoming air around the turbojet and the ramjet takes over completely.

A ramjet is a simple propulsion system which “rams” the incoming high-pressure air to create compression. Fuel is mixed with this compressed air and ignited for thrust. Ramjets are optimal between Mach 3 and Mach 5.


“AIR-BREATHING” ENGINES VS ROCKET ENGINES

Hermeus’ TBCC engine is unique in the field of hypersonics. Most hypersonic platforms are powered by a rocket engine. But this approach makes reusability much harder and inherently more dangerous for passenger flight.

By making a full-range air-breathing hypersonic engine that does not require a rocket to accelerate, Hermeus is setting the stage for operational hypersonic flight – meaning aircraft that can be rapidly re-used.

An additional benefit of this engine design is that it accommodates existing transportation infrastructure. Hermeus aircraft are designed to be operational at traditional airports.

This is important not just for hypersonic testing, but critical given Hermeus’ goal of radically accelerating passenger travel through hypersonic flight.


BUILDING CHIMERA

An essential manufacturing principle at Hermeus is vertical integration.

Manufacturing in-house allows for a tight feedback loop between engineers and technicians which is key to the company’s ability to iterate quickly. Additionally, vertical integration eases reliance on outside vendors and allows for better control of the supply chain.

Another important factor in building Chimera is additive manufacturing. About 15% of the engine is 3D printed which enabled rapid development.


WHAT’S NEXT?

With mode transition successfully demonstrated, the Hermeus team is now racing to manufacture the first Quarterhorse aircraft that will begin flight testing in late 2023.

Offline CameronD

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #50 on: 11/21/2022 03:21 am »
“The Notre Dame facility allowed us to create conditions similar to what we’ll see in flight,” said CTO Glenn Case. “Completing this testing on the ground significantly de-risks our Quarterhorse flight test campaign which will begin late next year.”

Well if they've actually got their engines sorted like they say, perhaps they'd be better off ditching Quarterhorse (what a stupid name for a fast aircraft) entirely and asking Lockheed-Martin if they can borrow one particular prototype they recently showcased?

Seeing Darkstar actually fly would be very, very, cool indeed!!!  :)
« Last Edit: 11/21/2022 03:26 am by CameronD »
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline edzieba

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #51 on: 11/21/2022 08:26 am »
“The Notre Dame facility allowed us to create conditions similar to what we’ll see in flight,” said CTO Glenn Case. “Completing this testing on the ground significantly de-risks our Quarterhorse flight test campaign which will begin late next year.”

Well if they've actually got their engines sorted like they say, perhaps they'd be better off ditching Quarterhorse (what a stupid name for a fast aircraft) entirely and asking Lockheed-Martin if they can borrow one particular prototype they recently showcased?

Seeing Darkstar actually fly would be very, very, cool indeed!!!  :)
A movie prop is not going to be of much utility.

Offline CameronD

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #52 on: 11/21/2022 11:37 pm »
A movie prop is not going to be of much utility.

As a validated design concept / showpiece made by people who know what is required for hypersonic flight??  That movie prop is far more likely to fly than the mess that they trundled out at their big reveal.
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline edzieba

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #53 on: 11/21/2022 11:45 pm »
A movie prop is not going to be of much utility.

As a validated design concept / showpiece made by people who know what is required for hypersonic flight??  That movie prop is far more likely to fly than the mess that they trundled out at their big reveal.
It was designed to look good on film, and be vaguely plausible. It is of no value as a scale demonstrator for an unrelated vehicle.

Offline Vahe231991

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #54 on: 07/14/2023 01:27 am »
Quote
Atlanta-based hypersonics firm, Hermeus, has just taken delivery of an F100-229 engine from Pratt & Whitney. Best known for powering USAF F-15 Eagles and F-16s, the F100 will propel Heremeus’ hypersonic Darkhorse aircraft to Mach 2.8 on the way to Mach 5.

Hermeus announced receipt of its first Pratt & Whitney engine early this month. “We always knew that we were going to larger and more modern gas turbine engines with better thrust than the J85,” company CEO, AJ Piplica, told me.

The need for a more powerful conventional powerplant for Hermeus’ turbine-based combined cycle engine (TBCC) falls into line with the company’s march from a small, remotely-piloted Quarterhorse test aircraft to a larger reusable hypersonic UAS called Darkhorse and, at some point in the future, to a 20 passenger hypersonic aircraft called Halcyon.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2023/06/08/hermeus-is-plugging-an-f-15-engine-into-its-hypersonic-test-aircraft/ [from June 8, 2023]

Considering that the Chimera turbine-based combined cycle engine of the Hermeus Quarterhorse includes a vintage General Electric J85 turbojet, the decision by Hermeus to select the Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan as the turbine portion of the Chimera II powerplant for the forthcoming Hermeus Darkhorse demonstrates the flexibility exhibited by Hermeus Aerospace with respect to using existing supersonic turbofan engines for the gas turbine component of its TBCC engines being developed for hypersonic aircraft designs.

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #55 on: 08/10/2023 07:03 am »
https://twitter.com/thebrianmcmanus/status/1689417362292793345

Quote
Got to witness a test of a turbo ram jet engine yesterday with @hermeuscorp. Absolutely wild experience. My favourite doc shoot so far. My dream company to work for.

Offline 12345

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #56 on: 08/10/2023 09:21 am »

Considering that the Chimera turbine-based combined cycle engine of the Hermeus Quarterhorse includes a vintage General Electric J85 turbojet, the decision by Hermeus to select the Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan as the turbine portion of the Chimera II powerplant for the forthcoming Hermeus Darkhorse demonstrates the flexibility exhibited by Hermeus Aerospace with respect to using existing supersonic turbofan engines for the gas turbine component of its TBCC engines being developed for hypersonic aircraft designs.

Someone please stop this AI crap

Offline JAFO

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #57 on: 08/10/2023 06:17 pm »

blah blah blah....

Someone please stop this AI crap

Agreed. There have been numerous comments like yours about this poster.

I go back and forth if it's AI, a non-English speaker with a bad translator Bablesfish, a young person trying to sound intelligent and/or important and getting their rocks off seeing their posts here and interactions with others, or an elder with time on their hands scouring NSF for old threads to revive as a hobby (and to annoy Jim).  I've got them on IGNORE, but will look at their posts once in a while just to see what kind of drivel they posted that day. Once in a while they randomly make a decent post, but otherwise they're just an annoying mosquito.

I've seen worse, but NSF could lose them without pain.
« Last Edit: 08/10/2023 07:25 pm by JAFO »
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Offline Vahe231991

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #58 on: 08/11/2023 03:25 pm »

blah blah blah....

Someone please stop this AI crap

Agreed. There have been numerous comments like yours about this poster.

I go back and forth if it's AI, a non-English speaker with a bad translator Bablesfish, a young person trying to sound intelligent and/or important and getting their rocks off seeing their posts here and interactions with others, or an elder with time on their hands scouring NSF for old threads to revive as a hobby (and to annoy Jim).  I've got them on IGNORE, but will look at their posts once in a while just to see what kind of drivel they posted that day. Once in a while they randomly make a decent post, but otherwise they're just an annoying mosquito.

I've seen worse, but NSF could lose them without pain.
The post written by me in question isn't a product of artificial intelligence. I never wrote "blah blah blah" because I am both an English speaker and multilingual speaker. I was just commenting on the latest news on development of the Darkhorse because Hermeus Aerospace had to make a decision on what turbofan should be used for the gas turbine part of the Chimera II TBCC engine for the Darkhorse engine because it knows that the J85 turbojet that is part of the Quaterhorse's powerplant is technologically obsolete compared to the F100.

Offline Jim

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Re: Hermeus hypersonic plane
« Reply #59 on: 08/11/2023 05:54 pm »
The post written by me in question isn't a product of artificial intelligence. I never wrote "blah blah blah" because I am both an English speaker and multilingual speaker. I was just commenting on the latest news on development of the Darkhorse because Hermeus Aerospace had to make a decision on what turbofan should be used for the gas turbine part of the Chimera II TBCC engine for the Darkhorse engine because it knows that the J85 turbojet that is part of the Quaterhorse's powerplant is technologically obsolete compared to the F100.

What you wrote here and other places is equivalent to "blah blah blah" because it doesn't add anything of substance to the discussion.   It is just filler.

I mean did the "decision really demonstrate flexibility"?   And if so, why is it necessary to point out here?
« Last Edit: 08/11/2023 05:57 pm by Jim »

 

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