posted on Aug, 30 2004 @ 09:14 AM
Scramjets are only now being developed and one has not flown beyond Mach 7 yet never mind Mach 50. Hell, orbital equivelent speed is only Mach 26 or
so. A hybrid combined cycle engine which uses some kind of turbine propulsiion plus ramjet is much more likely given todays state of the art black
world technology. There might even be some PDWE tech available, but for those wishing such monstrously fast aerospace vehicles exist, only in their
imagination. Engineers often talk about a theoretical material called "unobtanium", their dream material, strong, light, tensile, capable of
extremely high temperatures. It just doesn't exist, therefore a lot of the more outlandish claims in some groups are just that. Unsubstantiated and
rumors. I'm somewhat reminded of the 80's when Testors put out the F-19 aircraft, and todays people who use the same methodology to look at a
store bought model and think that it is has much to do with reality. They are only guestimations, the designations and even their very existence in a
lot of cases is highly questionable.
Is there really any serious data indicating that with the exception of a few theoretical study groups in say Boeing or elsewhere that there's a
development of antigravity vehicle anywhere? I think people have been mistaking the Northrop research of the 80's when they found an electrostatic
field on the leading edge could reduce drag by helping to maintain lamanar flow over the wing. Other advanced propulsion concepts do include using
plasma spikes to "trick" a hypersonic airflow into a lower energy state. Scramjets are in their infancy but ramjet propulsion is still a well known
quantity, with good efficiency between Mach 2 and 5. I have no doubts that given a need and the technical expertise a hybrid ramjet/turbine or PDE
aircraft can exist. But that's state of the art and very expensive.
It's easy to believe anything is possible, and in fact the old Skunk Works philosphy was "the difficult we do right away, the impossible just takes
awhile". Have a little perspective though, unsubstantiated pictures of models suspended on fishing line and CGI drawings do not make a real
aircraft. To uncover one you need to stop having expectations of what you think is there but to just look and observe and weigh based on reliability
of evidence whether it is valid or not.