Jane Edwards
U.K.-based Reaction Engines has kicked off testing of its high-Mach propulsion system under a contract with the Department of Defense.
The company said Thursday it started the testing campaign as part of the Foreign Comparative Testing Program, which seeks to discover, test and evaluate foreign technologies that could meet U.S. defense technical needs and emerging requirements.
The FCT program is backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and administered by the directorate for research and engineering for advanced capabilities at DOD.
“The exciting outcome that I am looking forward to over the coming weeks is the validation that our technology could enable current jet engines to operate from takeoff up through Mach 4 and beyond,” said Andrew Piotti, engineering manager for Reaction Engines’ U.S. arm.
The company said the testing campaign seeks to triple the total energy transfer via the engine heat exchanger by raising the delivered air mass flow rate and other testing parameters.
Join ExecutiveBiz Events for the Hypersonics Forum on July 12 to hear from federal and industry leaders as they discuss the role of public-private partnerships in hypersonics development in relation to national security, military capabilities and strategic competition in today’s evolving threat landscape.
