It may not be sounding again any time soon, but it is flying: The Quarterhorse Mk 1 aircraft has flown for the first time, according to the US aviation company Hermeus. The final version of the aircraft is expected to reach several times the speed of sound. The unmanned prototype completed a stable flight and landed without incident. The maiden flight took place on May 21 at Edwards Air Force Base in the US state of California, as Hermeus has only just announced. However, the aircraft did not take off and land on a conventional runway, but on a dry salt lake on the Edwards site. The main aim of the test was to allow the aircraft to take off and land. The aircraft only has very small wings as it is designed for high speeds. According to Hermeus, take-offs and landings are therefore a particular challenge. The flight test was preceded by cab tests in December last year, during which the Mk 1 was sometimes traveling at 240 km/h. Quarterhorse Mk 1 is 12.2 meters long and has a wingspan of 3.6 meters. It is powered by a TBCC engine, an abbreviation of Turbine Based Combined Cycle. This is a combination of a turbojet and a ramjet engine. It is based on the J85 engine from General Electric and can be operated both as a conventional jet engine and as a ramjet engine.

Full report : Hermeus’ prototype Quarterhorse Mk 1 flies for the first time.

For more see the OODA Company Profile on Hermeus.