Review and Evaluation of the Air Force Hypersonic Technology Program (1998) / Chapter Skim
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B AIR FORCE HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
B AIR FORCE HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Pages 45-53
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From page 45... ...
It concludes with an assessment of the current state of the program and the probability of meeting its goals. Program Objectives and Technical Content · After the decision to terminate the NASP/HySTP program, effective in Jan 1995, the Secretary of the Air Force decided to initiate a follow-on generic hypersonic technology program to be funded at $20M/year · In response, HyTech was established as a Wright Laboratory program and a planning team was formed in Jan 1995 to determine the direction and content of the program.
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From page 46... ...
The program technical content and associated tasks were revised in accordance with this direction The Mach 8 hydrocarbon-fueled engine development critical path was made the focus of the program and it was set up to be a moderate (or lower) risk program managed by WL and executed by industry In addition to the primary activity in engine design, the program included engine-related materials, structures, analysis and test facilities tasks In parallel, the WE Directorates, using their own resources and funding lines, were encouraged by AFMC/ST to investigate the other promising highpayoff, but possibly higher risk technologies for both the scramjet engine and for overall vehicle needs This included technologies for airframe structures, antenna and sensor window materials, long-term test facility development, etc., as well as engine risk-reduction activities The HyTech Program was also directed to coordinate with, and leverage technology investments in other Services, DARPA, NASA, the national laboratories, academia, industry, and other nations if doing so could accelerate the scramjet engine development and/or further extend and deepen the US's hypersonics technology base · The revised HyTech plan was implemented early in 1996 and is underway.
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From page 47... ...
These reductions in funding necessarily have resulted in a significant accumulated schedule slip of more than two years and have diluted the technical depth of the program 96 97 98 99 The longer schedule for completion of the integrated engine testing moves the program outside the window of opportunity for flight testing on near-term programs planned by other organizations The DARPA Low Cost Missile program recogn~zing that a flight-type engine will not be ava~lable from HyTech in time to meet its scheduleplans to flight test a fixed-Mach heavyweight engine; the NASA Hyper-X program, designed to perform lim~ted-duration flight testing of scramjet engines at discrete Mach numbers, also is incompatible with the present HyTech schedule In a related issue, the extended schedule also makes HyTech more vulnerable to further cuts if it becomes regarded as a long-term technology program with no apparent event-driven end-point in other words, a classical "lab program" instead of an intensive, focused, visibly milestone-centered project that must meet time-cntical goals if it is to satisfy user requirements in a timely manner HyTech is an opportunity to build off the many years of work accomplished on scramjet technology and to bring it to fruition with a real, flighttype engine demonstration. It would be unfortunate if history is repeated and this momentum is allowed to dissipate yet again 00 01 02 03 Components Advanced combustor component development Pre PRDA development Pre PRDA development/ demonstration Inlet start demonstration /\ i\ Combustor demonstration ~c= .8 Subsystems Demonstrator | Aerothermal performance l Heavyweight demonstration al = .85 /\ ~ Inlet performance ~ I and durability 14 /\ Heavyweight demonstration rl=.9 Forebody/inlet performance | Combustor performance | I and durability l 12 min durability demonstration i\ | Integrated engine l I demonstration .
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From page 48... ...
This tactic would have served a double purpose: it would have continued work on selected key technical issues that may prove to be needed for successful engine development; it also would have maintained a broader core of industry involvement in air-breathing hypersonic technology an especially important consideration for the US when many personnel experienced in hypersonics are reaching retirement age The reduced funding level also has resulted in the loss of other tasks working parallel risk-reduction and alternative approaches, although to the maximum extent possible the program preserves the inhouse work on high-risk, high payoff combustor component items that includes evaluations of alternative combustor subcomponent designs. Also retained are small-scale activities that are examining emerging materials and structures and developing advanced endothermic fuel technology Attachments: 1.
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From page 49... ...
testified to Congress on 15 Mar 94, "Hypersonic technology, which yields an optimum combination of speed, range, precision, lethality, and flexibility, is one of the three highest priority technologies to enable future warfighting capabilities identified by senior Air Force leadership." Similarly, in its 15 Dec 95 New World Vistas report, the Scientific Advisory Board recommended the Air Force develop the scramjet and materials technologies required for hypersonic airbreathing flight. Given the recognized potential of hypersonics, and the corresponding foundational requirements for a US capability to build operational scramjet engines, I expect Wright Laboratory to lead the nation in the development of a hypersonic technology base.
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From page 50... ...
On a smaller scale, other potential technical show-stoppers included the airframe materials and structures, sensor windows and radio antennas that could survive and operate in the severe hypersonic flight environmeet. Because the propulsion development is the most important and expensive technology, and the projected funding would only allow an acceptable rate of progress in this area if the vast majority of the funds were directed there, Wright Laboratory chose to focus on a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramj et)
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From page 51... ...
In addition, FY95 expenditures were beginning to roll in. The cornerstone of HyTech is a $62M contracted engine development effort consisting of a competitive first phase, with a downselect to one contractor for the second and third phases which consist of a full engine development and freejet ground demonstration.
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From page 52... ...
After program go-ahead, this goal allowed only half the time normally required for a solicitation and source selection of this magnitude. Final acquisition plan approval arrived in Apr 96 and the HyTech office promptly released the scramjet engine development solicitation in the Commerce Business Daily.
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From page 53... ...
Sometimes budgets are restored when the leadership recognizes the potential in revolutionary technology, even during periods of major budget reductions.
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