SR-72 Confirmed: Mach 6 Project Blackswift

weird double post. Sorry.

Quick question. Does this model strike a familiar pose to any one here ? i am sure I have seen it before but for the life of me cannot remember where.

Any helpers for me out here ?

[edit on 22-6-2008 by Dan Tanna]

Seems like this effort from Boeing is their foray into the program. Look very nice, but also, very familiar... any people get the same thought ?

Nice though. Here, read about boeings effort on page 30 of this Pdf.

Boeing Pdf


Hope this post shows up....lol.

Dan,
The X-43 is a scramjet powered system.
The Blackswift (at least in the black project) is a low hypersonic turbine/ramjet combined cycle hybrid. You can credit a Pratt & Whitney/Lockheed effort on the engine development - of course that's just a rumor.

bios

Originally posted by bios
Dan,
The X-43 is a scramjet powered system.
The Blackswift (at least in the black project) is a low hypersonic turbine/ramjet combined cycle hybrid. You can credit a Pratt & Whitney/Lockheed effort on the engine development - of course that's just a rumor.

bios

I fully understand what it is, and how its powered. It was the wording in the Pdf file that made me post it here. They would like to see this as both a missile and an airframe for recce work...

So... I put it here just as a 'is this Boeing trying to muscle in' type of thought.

Cheers for the extra blackswift info.

The hurdles that must be overcome for a MACH 6 aircraft are immense. No doubt it will have to be unmanned and very small. The navigation system would be fantastic and the recon systems will be far beyond imagination. If it were to carry weapons I would think they would be very compact.
If anyone can build it Skunk Works can. This will be an engineer’s achievement, no pilots to receive the glory, no human feat to be accomplished. The SR-71 Blackbirds will still rein as Kings of the Sky.
mach3ti.com...

Many thanks to ATS member Jezza for finding the information on the Blackswifts combined cycle jet engine.

Please read about it at this link:
Aircraft Projects » DARPA Lifts the Covers on Vulcan Engine

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
The hurdles that must be overcome for a MACH 6 aircraft are immense. No doubt it will have to be unmanned and very small. The navigation system would be fantastic and the recon systems will be far beyond imagination. If it were to carry weapons I would think they would be very compact.

Regarding hurdles...

Engine: The newly unveiled Pratt & Whitney "Vulcan" engine has been acknowledged as the combined cycle engine for the Blackswift. The Vulcan is most assuredly good up to Mach 4.5 with most engineers saying it can propell an F-15 sized aircraft to Mach 6 or even 6.5.
There's not much of a hurdle here to jump as far as the engine goes.

Airframe: Heat issues are the big problem with the airframe ie:, can the skin take the extreme temperatures?
The first aircraft to have to deal with Mach 6 heat buildup on the airframe was the X-15 some 40 years ago.
Since that time the Shuttle has routinely traveled ain excess of Mach 23 as it exits and enters Earth's atmosphere. Even the X-43 traveled at Mach 9.7 and the technology available was certainly sufficient.
Knowing the level of maturity of the technologies involved, there simply is no hurdle to jump.

If there is a major hurdle to jump, it is keeping this thing together and funded during an Obama led administration. Which is one reason that it has gone to a prefunded SAP (Special Access Program) - so that not even the President will know the progress of the beast.



[edit on 6/25/2008 by bios]

I heard this just vaguely on the news today about this project but someone told me it goes mach 10?

I'd suspect the dissipation of heat is slightly more complicated than the examples given. It's one of the few questions I'd have left about the project. Most of the hurdles are pretty fundamental.

McDonnell hypersonic engineer stated that every hurdle was over come in the 1970s. The funding hurdle was what failed them. sad.

I hope this as a SAP keeps well out of Obamas spending cut spree if he makes president.

Originally posted by alienstar
I heard this just vaguely on the news today about this project but someone told me it goes mach 10?

The X-43 went mach 10 - but it is/was a rocket assisted scramjet system.
The Blackswift is a turbojet/ramjet like the SR-71 - except with updated tech allowing mach 4-6 performance.

Originally posted by intelgurl
No such info at this time - this is a black project and we're lucky to get this much.

WOWSERS.... this is what happens when you have to go to the day job and your on the West Coast.... you get scooped even when you have inside information

Good work intelgurl starred and flagged

Hypersonic Plane Hits Turbulence; Budget Cut, Testing in Doubt
blog.wired.com...

Now I have heard a little confusion about the speed... it seems that the air breathing Mach 6 version is a flight test version and it is quite possible that it will go into space using pulse detonation engines. The Fox News video says Mach 6 to 10

My sources both tell me this is unmanned..IE automated control...

A little note from another blog...

Hello everyone.

I haven't seen anything about this mentioned anywhere except via a video (no text) on the Fox News website:
FOX VIDEO LINK

According to the (obviously out-of-date) information I've found, the Blackswift was rumored to be a super secret aircraft co-named HTV-3X that used a turbojet to reach supersonic and then a scamjet to reach hypersonic -- essentially a 21st century version of the J58.

Instead, the Blackswift described in the video uses pulse detonation engines, essentially a modern version of the V-1 buzz bomb engine. This engine requires significantly less moving parts and achieves much higher efficiency than a turbofan, and is technically able to go hypersonic without any kind of "dual-stage" engine.

The Fox News video is total braindead... anyone have a good source of technical information on this? I'm under the impression that the aircraft was only unveiled, B-2-style, TODAY.

FOX VIDEO LINK


Some background info...

Blackswift: Return of the Spaceplane
blog.wired.com...


The official DARPA/AIR FORCE documents...

BLACKSWIFT PROGRAM SOLICITATION 08-02
www.arpa.mil...

VULCAN
Industry Day Agenda
June 10, 2008
www.darpa.mil...

Didn't have time to catch up on all eleven pages so apologies if any of this is already here but time was of the essence

This also ties in with other research Pegasus has on a special 'coating' that has some interesting stealth properties... I will get to that later


Funny though that Fox news video looks a lot like THIS..

DARPA Falcon hypersonic X-plane - part 2



DARPA Falcon hypersonic X-plane - part 1



[edit on 27-6-2008 by zorgon]

I wonder if it uses the "Plasma Actuator" technology for steering?

Looking at page 4 of the 'Vulcan' document I would say yes...





Revolutionary Hypersonic Aerospace Vehicles
With Plasma Actuators That Require No Moving Parts
Air Force Research Laboratory

Plasm Actuators

Originally posted by Sky watcher
Its more than likely has been flying for years and they are close to admitting it exist. We do know that something very fast was recorded over California years ago. It had sonic booms bigger than the space shuttle. I get the sonic booms every time it lands in Florida and let me tell ya they are loud.

A friend of mine recently retired from Space Command related this...

Hill AFB, Utah 1988

During war games at Hill AFB, Utah, I was standing out on the flightline, guarding the perimeter, the entry-access control point. The rest of the base was in black out conditions, with black plastic over the windows of the buildings. All of the sudden, an aircraft or an airship was above me, of unknown origin. It was the biggest aircraft I have ever seen, completely silent and moved approximately ten miles an hour, almost floating. It was triangular, no visible engines, no markings, gun metal black.

It essentially looked like it could fly in space. And when it accelerated, it leaped frog; that it is to say, it blinked out and reappeared farther away. It basically disappeared when it accelerated.

BV

Originally posted by mtmaraca
I'm kind of new and everything, but is Intelgurl so revered here that as long as she makes sure to underline "extremely reliable" her source is trusted instantly?

Why yes as a matter of fact Besides this made Fox news today and she IS "operating within the parameters of the DoD" after all

So since they have released this officially today 9oops yesterday now ) I see no need to call the MIB's

Fox News

So... it is running on pulse detonation wave engines according to this report ?

The Fox reporter sounds such a tool.....

Originally posted by Dan Tanna
The Fox reporter sounds such a tool.....

I HATE Fox news... it seems all their reporters are buffoons... but the fact that THEY are actually covering this is interesting...

American media always seems to feel the need to laugh at every news report. I wish we had one local media that took a more serious approach like the BBC but I don't see that happening

My best stories though have come from the BBC they seem to have no problem covering things the American stooges don't want to talk about

Now my friend from the Military observed a black triangular craft while on 'blackout' exercises at Hill AFB in Utah in the late 80's and his description talks about the 'jumping' effect..

Perhaps that is why this one is UNMANNED because no human can handle the stress of the G forces

Now iskander made the following comment (below)... It ties right in with what my friend saw... As a matter of fact as soon as he saw the Fox report on local TV at Patrick AFB he called me to say "THATS IT!!!" and he was happy because now he knows he wasn't seeing things... the only problem is the time frame

Originally posted by iskander
Mach 6 SR-72 back in 1985? That would have been just right, but these days mach 14 hypersonic SAM will take it down no problem, stealth or not

To iskander

Do you have any more on this?Because this is just what we are looking for


Also this...

(U) An MOA with the Air Force in FY 2007 established the HTV-3X Blackswift Test Bed program. Given the importance of this activity, the
HTV-3X Blackswift Test Bed has been separately budgeted in FY 2008 and out in this Program Element.

And before the mad horde of those that have been screaming "traitor' in this thread (unbelievable really :shk descend on this... the following budget document is unclassified

HTV-3X Blackswift starts here...
UNCLASSIFIED
R-1 Line Item No. 32
Page 8 of 24

RDT&E BUDGET ITEM JUSTIFICATION SHEET (R-2 Exhibit)
February 2008

DTIC.MIL

reply to post by bios


It may seem easy to some to take an aircraft and fly MACH 6 operational missions at the drop of a hat. Yes, we’ve had “experimental” aircraft fly hypervelocity “test” missions, but they are in no comparison to flying real combat sorties.
The logistics alone would be phenomenal. The maintenance program for such a program would prove very costly and complicated. Don’t forget that the X-15 nearly burned up at those speeds. The space shuttle just can’t turn around and launch the next day. These aircraft are at the edge of technology when they fly it’s just a matter of time verse wear. And believe me they wear out fast, like in one flight.
They are not going to fly a top secret aircraft in harms way with a chance of our highest technological achievements falling into enemy hands. There are countermeasure systems that have to be developed for an aircraft flying at those speeds as well as navigation and flights controls. At mach 6 a split second can make a difference in causing an international incident. Just think 2/10 of a second too late and your bird flies over the wrong country.
Now, when you’re talking about engines and materials for airframes you just don’t take this stuff off the shelf. Even the best thermal resistant titanium beta alloys are not readily produced. As it was with the SR-71, those super alloys wore out, and a lot of the maintenance was extremely intensive. They never did develop a sealant to stop the fuel from dripping out. And you can’t use an engine that has to be replaced after every flight.
Don’t get me wrong, I would not doubt for a minute that such an aircraft exist. It’s just that many hurdles must be overcome for it. It’s a bit naïve to think and make it sound so simple to build a squadron of MACH 6 aircraft and fly combat missions like you would jump in your car and go down to the store for a gallon of milk.

-.- You do know that if this is a black project, you wouldn't even know a shread of information. It's how black project are. They also release misinformation. The Blackswift developed by NASA is completely different in use. Attack versions are kept strictly under wraps...at least for a couple decades until technology has caught up.

Weapons? They will open the storm window and throw bricks.