Israel helps India with scramjet demonstrator
HYPERSONIC Israel Aerospace Industries is co-operating with India's Defence Research and Development Organisation on a hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV), with the target of conducting a flight test in 2008.
Some of the windtunnel testing is being being performed at IAI. DRDO is developing the vehicle to demonstrate a kerosene-fuelled scramjet engine capable of powering air-breathing vehicles to a speed of Mach 6.5- Mach 7, with the goal of reducing the cost of putting payloads into orbit by a factor of 100, to $200/kg ($90/lb).
India is researching special materials for thermal protection of the HSTDV, which would resemble NASA's X-43A, including carbon-carbon composites, nickel-based superalloys, niobium alloys and high thermal conducting copper alloy.
SILENCE(R) research likely to hush A350
NOISE The Airbus A350 is the first European airliner expected to benefit from the European Union's recently completed €112 million ($152 million) SILENCE(R) noise reduction research project.
Since its inception in April 2001 SILENCE(R) has developed negatively-scarfed intakes, low-noise fan nozzles with internal and external plugs, exhaust splitters, active stators and a range of liners for inlets.
"The A350 [is] just at the edge of accepting [SILENCE(R) technology]," says industry co-ordinator Eugène Kors, a manager with French propulsion company Snecma. Flight International will take an in-depth look at SILENCE(R) in the 24 July issue.
10h goal for small-UAV fuel cell
UNMANNED Fuel cell specialist Protonex Technology is being funded by the US Air Force Research Laboratory to increase the power and energy density of its ProCore UAV propulsion system to extend the endurance of small unmanned air vehicles.
Southborough, Massachussetts-based Protonex hopes to deliver a fuel cell system with up to four times the available energy of batteries with the same dimensions and weight.
The goal of flights up to 10h is beyond the capability of current battery technology, says Protonex.
An Aerovironment Puma small UAV has flown for nearly 5h powered by a hybrid ProCore fuel-cell and battery system, almost doubling its endurance with the standard battery-powered propulsion.
Source: Flight International
