13,000 mph Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicle goes missing

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://gizmodo.com/5829879/fastest-plane-in-the-world-will-be-tested-today

http://gizmodo.com/5830061/air-forces-experimental-hypersonic-aircraft-disappears-again

The Air Force lost their second Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicle.. umm.. what if it turns out that this plane is just all bs? and the fact that they lost 2 of them means that someone was able to pocket $170 million for each of these?

ahaha... anyway.. I'm sure they're real.. and these things could be monstrously deadly.. traveling at 13,000 mph.. The US could send a bomb anywhere in the world within a half hour.

[Myk JL 1,731]

http://gizmodo.com/5829879/fastest-plane-in-the-world-will-be-tested-today

http://gizmodo.com/5830061/air-forces-experimental-hypersonic-aircraft-disappears-again

The Air Force lost their second Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicle.. umm.. what if it turns out that this plane is just all bs? and the fact that they lost 2 of them means that someone was able to pocket $170 million for each of these?

ahaha... anyway.. I'm sure they're real.. and these things could be monstrously deadly.. traveling at 13,000 mph.. The US could send a bomb anywhere in the world within a half hour.

Or they could start a pizza delivery.... That could save our economy.

[slippers 3,168]

The US could send a bomb anywhere in the world within a half hour.

I hope not. They just lost two already lol

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

It probably went into some other dimension.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Hmmm... this ship is positioned into the upper atmosphere where it then flys at incredibly high speeds on the surface of the atmosphere causing intense heat from friction....

http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2011/2011/08/11DARPA_HYPERSONIC_VEHICLE_ADVANCES_TECHNICAL_KNOWLEDGE.aspx

Today, DARPA attempted to fly the fastest aircraft ever built. The Agency’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) is designed to fly anywhere in the world in less than 60 minutes. This capability requires an aircraft that can fly at 13,000 mph, while experiencing temperatures in excess of 3500F. The second test flight began with launch at 0745 Pacific Time. The Minotaur IV vehicle successfully inserted the aircraft into the desired trajectory. Separation of the vehicle was confirmed by rocket cam and the aircraft transitioned to Mach 20 aerodynamic flight. This transition represents a critical knowledge and control point in maneuvering atmospheric hypersonic flight. More than nine minutes of data was collected before an anomaly caused loss of signal. Initial indications are that the aircraft impacted the Pacific Ocean along the planned flight path.

“Here’s what we know,” said Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz, DARPA HTV-2 program manager and PhD in aerospace engineering. “We know how to boost the aircraft to near space. We know how to insert the aircraft into atmospheric hypersonic flight. We do not yet know how to achieve the desired control during the aerodynamic phase of flight. It’s vexing; I’m confident there is a solution. We have to find it.”

It was no anomaly.. or another dimension.. it was a wormhole! Because someone in DARPA is a farscape fan and wanted to see if John Criton's experiment would work in real life!

[ame]

[/ame]

I hope not. They just lost two already lol

Thats why it'd be the most dangerous weapon on the planet! It randomly chooses a target on its own.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

if at first ya don't succeed....