Boeing on Tuesday was preparing to fly its experimental X-51A WaveRider, a scramjet-powered unmanned aircraft that is designed to travel at speeds above Mach 5 burning JP-5 jet fuel.
The Air Force planned to transport the aircraft under the wing of a B-52 bomber from Edwards Air Force Base in California to an altitude of 50,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu. From there, the X-51A’s high-speed test flight — at speeds in excess of 3,500 mph — was planned to last 300 seconds, after which it was to splash down in the ocean.
