Hermeus unveiled a full-scale concept mockup of Quarterhorse, a hypersonic jet designed to fly at Mach 5 (over 3,000 mph).
The U.S. Air Force is supporting the project with a $60 million contract, envisioning Quarterhorse for roles including military executive transport (potentially as Air Force One), military surveillance, and drastically reducing passenger flight times (e.g., New York to Paris in 90 minutes).
The aircraft's design centers on a proprietary turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine, integrating repurposed GE J85 turbofan jet engines with new ramjet technology.
Hermeus plans an "iterative, hardware-rich" development approach, aiming for flight tests of the first Quarterhorse prototype as early as next year, with the goal of becoming the world's fastest reusable aircraft.
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.
