Hypersonic aircraft prototype unveiled

American startup Hermeus on March 28 unveiled the Quarterhorse Mk1, a prototype of its new high-speed unmanned jet, at its factory in Atlanta.

Hermeus Quarterhorse Mk1 aircraft. Photo: X/Hermuscorp

According to Hermeus, the Quarterhorse Mk1 is a step toward the company's long-term goal: Building the first reusable hypersonic (five times faster than the speed of sound) aircraft.

The Quarterhorse Mk1 will be the first Hermeus-built aircraft to take to the skies. Test flights to test its high-speed takeoff and landing capabilities are scheduled to take place at Edwards Air Force Base later this year. The company is working with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to demonstrate high-speed mobility using the prototype.

The Mk1 is the second version of the Quarterhorse aircraft — a high-speed test platform that Hermeus is developing with the goal of realizing reusable, near-hypersonic flight by 2026. The company conducted ground testing with the previous version, the Quarterhorse Mk0, last year.

According to AJ Piplica, founder and CEO of Hermeus, they designed and built the Mk1 in 204 days. Piplica also said that the next version, the Quarterhorse Mk2, is also on the way. According to him, it will have an even faster engine and reach speeds of Mach 2.5 or higher (2.5 times the speed of sound). The Mk2 is expected to be equipped with Pratt & Whitney F100 engines and fly at supersonic speeds by 2025.

Hermeus is also developing two large-scale hypersonic aircraft, Darkhorse and Halcyon. Darkhorse is a multi-mission drone for defense purposes. Halcyon, meanwhile, is a passenger aircraft that is expected to be able to complete the New York-London route in just 90 minutes.

Piplica also said that the successor to its commercial engine, the Chimera, will be available sooner than expected. According to Hermeus, the Chimera is powering the first Quarterhorse aircraft, while a larger successor, the Chimera II, will power the Darkhorse.

Thu Thao (According to Interesting Engineering )

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