Chinese Hypersonic Developments (HGVs/HCMs)

by78

by78

General
by78 said:
Multiple Chinese sources are reporting that
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(a.k.a. Space Transportation) has carried out a test flight of its supersonic transport technology demonstrator named Yunxing (云行). Yunxing is envisioned to be a Mach 4 passenger transport. Lingkong is also known to be working on hypersonic transports.

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by78 said:
Yunxing supersonic transport is intended to be powered by Jindouyun (筋斗云) engines (first image), which will be flight tested in about a month.

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The test flight of the Jindouyun ramjet engine took place earlier today and was a complete success.

2024年12月17日9时，"筋斗云"（代号"JINDOU400"）高速冲压发动机试飞圆满成功。该型发动机推力超过400公斤，在20公里以上高空实现了4倍音速飞行。发动机采用了爆震燃烧技术，引入模块化设计，在临近空间高速飞行领域拥有巨大的商业应用潜力，为"云行"系列超音速飞机的研制打下了坚实基础
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At 9:00 on December 17, 2024, the test flight of the "Jindouyun" (codenamed "JINDOU400") high-speed ramjet engine was a complete success. The thrust of this type of engine exceeds 400 kg, and it can fly at 4 times the speed of sound at an altitude of more than 20 kilometers. It has huge commercial application potential in the field of near-space high-speed flight, laying a solid foundation for the development of the "Yunxing" series of supersonic aircraft.
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Temstar

Temstar

Brigadier
Registered Member
by78 said:
(Continued from above... )

More images from the successful test of the Jindouyun ramjet engine.

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This thing (筋斗云400旋转爆震冲压发动机) is apparently no joke, it's not just ramjet but ramjet intake in front of a rotating detonation engine:
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If that source is to be trusted the whole project went from receiving funding to first flight in 8 month, didn't have to go through supersonic wind tunnel test due to the Space Transportation's extensive previous experience with suborbital flights. The rocket stage accelerated the engine to mach 4 where upon the ramjet RDE ignited. Engine performance exceeded expectation. Whole test took 3 minutes from ignition to landing and the vehicle went 100+km down range in that time.

Their proposed spaceplane that will use this engine looks like this:
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KampfAlwin

KampfAlwin

Senior Member
Registered Member
Temstar said:
This thing (筋斗云400旋转爆震冲压发动机) is apparently no joke, it's not just ramjet but ramjet intake in front of a rotating detonation engine:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

If that source is to be trusted the whole project went from receiving funding to first flight in 8 month, didn't have to go through supersonic wind tunnel test due to the Space Transportation's extensive previous experience with suborbital flights. The rocket stage accelerated the engine to mach 4 where upon the ramjet RDE ignited. Engine performance exceeded expectation. Whole test took 3 minutes from ignition to landing and the vehicle went 100+km down range in that time.

Their proposed spaceplane that will use this engine looks like this:
View attachment 141018
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So it's way ahead of SABRE? (ignoring that it got recently cancelled)
 
Temstar

Temstar

Brigadier
Registered Member
SABRE's main trick is its hydrogen precooler where it uses the liquid hydrogen fuel to supercool the incoming air, but not so cold that it liquifies the air like their earlier LACE design.

I remember Reaction Engines said many years ago that they tested their precooler design and it performed to spec. After that I don't think we heard from them again.

I'm pretty sure there are institutes in China studying precoolers too because I've seen a "future" TRRE diagram that used a precooler. Then there are others looking into sodramjet. These guys are just happen to be into RDE it seems.
 
plawolf

plawolf

Lieutenant General
tphuang said:
just look at the development team. All so young. this is going to be a very productive team.

This likely can initially replace WZ-8 for surveillance, but longer term you'd want to use it for strike also. After all, with all the satellites they have in the air, there isn't as much need for near space/hypersonic surveillance.
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I don’t think China is taking anything for granted. Both sides have ASAT capability, so peacetime space based capabilities are not guaranteed to be available during war time.

Even assuming both sides refrain from ASAT weapons use, satellites have predictable orbits and finite fuel for course changes. So having hypersonic surveillance capabilities brings a lot to the table even if you have an embarrassment of riches in orbit.
 
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