Hermeus, an Atlanta-based startup, has unveiled a full-scale mockup of its hypersonic jet, Quarterhorse, which aims to fly at Mach 5 (over 3,000 mph) and could potentially serve as a future Air Force One.
The project is supported by a $60 million U.S. Air Force contract and funding from venture capital, with a goal to drastically reduce flight times, such as New York to Paris in 90 minutes.
Quarterhorse's design features a proprietary turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine that integrates repurposed GE J85 turbofan jet engines with ramjet technology.
Hermeus plans an "iterative, hardware-rich" development approach, aiming for flight tests of the first working Quarterhorse prototype as early as 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.
