X-51 WaveRider

(Newser) - It was supposed to be a step toward ultra-quick military strikes and maybe even passenger planes that could zip from coast to coast in under an hour . Instead, an unmanned hypersonic test craft crashed into the Pacific today shortly after being released from a B-52 bomber, reports AP . The Air...

(Newser) - Tomorrow, a hypersonic aircraft will zip above the Pacific Ocean at Mach 6 for 300 seconds—twice as long as any previous flight at that speed. Just how fast is Mach 6? A blazing 3,600mph—meaning it could get you from Los Angeles to New York in 46 minutes,...

(Newser) - The Air Force let loose with an unmanned, experimental hypersonic jet yesterday, and watched it shatter all manner of record. The X-51 WaveRider tore across the Pacific at 3,500 mph, using a hypersonic engine that runs on air and uses virtually no moving parts. It stayed airborne for 200...