Hermeus, an Atlanta-based startup, unveiled a full-scale concept mockup of its Quarterhorse hypersonic jet, which is being developed with support from a $60 million U.S. Air Force contract.
The Quarterhorse jet is intended for potential roles including military executive transport (e.g., Air Force One), military surveillance, and commercial passenger transportation, aiming to fly at Mach 5 (over 3,000 mph).
Its propulsion system is a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine, which integrates repurposed GE J85 turbofan engines with proprietary ramjet technology, with initial flight tests of a working prototype planned for next year.
Engineers have unveiled a full-scale concept mockup of a hypersonic jet, which could be developed in the future to serve as Air Force One.
The airplane—dubbed Quarterhorse—is being developed by Atlanta-based startup Hermeus, which revealed the mockup Thursday during an exclusive event at an undisclosed location attended by company executives, investors, and the U.S. Air Force.
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
