Crossing the Atlantic in 90 minutes: According to the American company Hermeus, passengers could soon enjoy this luxury. The company was founded in Georgia in 2018 and wants to launch several hypersonic aircraft into the air. The first test machines are scheduled to follow the Darkhorse military drone and the 20-passenger Halcyon aircraft.
The Quarterhorse Mk 1 is scheduled to be followed by the Mk 2 next year – Hermeus wants to get a new plane into the air every year.
The first flyable prototype
Last November, Hermeus completed ground tests using the Quarterhorse Mk 0 static test object at the US Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and here the focus was on remote control technology. At the end of March, the first flying prototype was unveiled, the unmanned Quaterhorse Mk 1, which was built in just seven months and is scheduled to take off on its first flight this year.
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Hybrid drive in testing
The so-called TBCC (turbine based combined cycle) engine is used as the engine. This combines a turbojet engine and a ramjet engine. According to Hermeus, the Chimera module developed on the basis of General Electric's J85 can switch between two operating modes. This also allows for conventional take-offs and landings that would not be possible with a pure jet engine due to the lack of speed. Flight testing of the Mk 1 will be conducted at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Tests should focus primarily on take-off and landing at high speeds.
US Air Force invests in Hermeus
Money for Mach 5 (a quarter horse)
A jump in performance with the F-16 engine
The team has set itself a goal of taking an additional development step with a new aircraft every year. So engineers want to advance into the supersonic range with the Quarterhorse Mk 2 next year. An F100 engine is already available for this purpose. The Pratt & Whitney product includes, among other things, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and will also be used in a modified form in the military version Darkhorse.
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