Hermeus Steps toward Hypersonic with Quarterhorse Mk 1

Quarterhorse Mk 1 will be the first Hermeus flying prototype

Hermeus advances in hypersonic technology with the Quarterhorse Mk 1, a significant milestone in high-speed aviation. The project aims to revolutionize air travel by developing aircraft capable of exceeding Mach 5 speeds. This progress reflects ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of aerospace engineering and revolutionize global transportation.

Hermeus is planning a range of tests on its first fully integrated, flying prototype, Quarterhorse Mk 1, before it takes to the skies later this year for trials at Edwards Air Force Base.

Hypersonic aircraft developer Hermeus took the wraps off its first flying prototype, Quarterhorse Mk 1, this week as it moves to initial flight testing later this year. Built and integrated over the past seven months, Quarterhorse Mk 1 follows the completion of the ground-test campaign late last year of the initial non-flying, fully integrated prototype, dubbed Quarterhorse Mk 0. Development of Mk 1 keeps Hermeus on pace for developing one aircraft a year, a target the Atlanta-based company has set for itself.

Powered by a GE J85 engine, the uncrewed, remotely piloted Quarterhorse Mk 1 will demonstrate high-speed takeoff and landing, which Hermeus called a “key enabling capability to the future hypersonic aircraft.” Plans call for those trials to take place at Edwards Air Force Base.

Leading up to those trials, Hermeus will conduct tests on a range of things, including subsystems, ground stations, operations, and human factors.

“Moving into the integrated test program is the culmination of a huge team effort and a significant emotional event for the entire company,” said Hermeus v-p of test Don Kaderbek. “As we begin the journey to first flight, we will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the aircraft’s performance while simultaneously examining the effectiveness of our test procedures, safety culture, and interdisciplinary team collaboration.”

Hermeus noted that each aircraft it is developing in the Quarterhorse program is progressively increasing in complexity and building on lessons learned. Next up is Quarterhorse Mk 2, which will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine and will fly at supersonic speeds next year.

“The most unique and important aspect of our approach to developing a hypersonic aircraft is our rate of iteration—designing, building, and flying an aircraft in less than a year, every year,” said Hermeus CEO and co-founder AJ Piplica. “It’s a pace that hasn’t been seen in the aircraft world for half a century. This approach has been proven successful in delivering massive improvements in the capabilities of rockets, satellites, and small drones.”

Beyond Quarterhorse Mk 2 will be Darkhorse, a multi-mission hypersonic aircraft for defense and national security missions, and ultimately Halcyon, a civil airliner/business jet option.

Source: AIN - Aviation International News