NationStates Jolt Archive

How possible would it be to create a simplified SCRAMJet engine that fits on the ventral hardpoints of a typical high-speed fighter jet, that taps into the jet's fuel supply?

I mean, obviously the engine itself could work, but would it rip off the plane's mountings? Would the plane itself breakup at such high speeds? Would it suck all the fuel away instantly?

Depends on the power and fuel consumption ratio of the engine you install. If the increase was in terms of a few hundred miles an hour for a few seconds, then there would be a fuel or stress problem.

This would be very useful for something like a "scramble" interceptor as it would vastly improve their climb rate and approach time.

Depends on the power and fuel consumption ratio of the engine you install. If the increase was in terms of a few hundred miles an hour for a few seconds, then there would be a fuel or stress problem.

This would be very useful for something like a "scramble" interceptor as it would vastly improve their climb rate and approach time.No, because to use the scramjet, you have to be going about mach 4 or more BEFORE the SCRAMJet will even combust.... so this would be a long-range-travel booster, say for over an ocean. You could probably attach a few non-stressing fuel pods or something.

But if you wanted a scramble booster, you'd want solid rockets or something

Please do not think I'm flamebaiting or similar, I'm trying to make this constructive.

The biggest problem with this is biological, not mechanical. Like people need intense training to be an astronaut and not everyone can make it. And a space shuttle is much slower in the atmosphere. I'm probably exagerrating, but any pilot sitting on a SCRAMjet powered/assisted aircraft would probably find their head bursting from the massive G-forces exerted (most people normally black out at about 4Gs anyway).

Apart from that, there is the question, what would the high speed be used for? A SCRAMjet would send the things at multiple times the speed of sound. Bullets and non SCRAMjet missiles would end up hitting the aircraft. Side note: An emergency SCRAMjet would invalidate the bulk of today's missiles by simply flying away from it quickly enough.

As a slight aside, for the "scramble" Interceptor as noted by Freethinkers, look up the British built English Electric Lightning. The Lightning could literally climb straight up to 40,000 feet and break the sound barrier during climb. However, this maneuvre left it very short of fuel and could only launch one, two missiles at most before running home for fuel.

Apart from that, good luck with the planning and design of this aircraft!

Adejanni: I am not an idiot. Do not treat me like one. Of course this wouldn't be for combat. This would be for transporting FIghter planes long distances very quickly.

These g-forces you speak of are really only in accelleration, and the plots experience maybe 8gs on average during intense dogfights.

well, in reality then, there is no point to this. Transport is already quick enough, and having a faster engine simply means burning more fuel getting there.

We already found a way around this long range speed problem, go look at our Valefor 29a (http://www.freewebs.com/bluebomber/storefrontaircraft.htm), and our Tech Page (http://www.freewebs.com/bluebomber/techcontracts.htm).

And as far as scrambling jets... I have planes that can take off from the runway in 200 meters, then stall, point up, then take-off again straight up, accellerating fast. This is possible simple because the plane has auxilury engines, which makes total thrust up around 105,000 lbf, while the weight of the plane is around 70,000 lbm

We already found a way around this long range speed problem, go look at our Valefor 29a (http://www.freewebs.com/bluebomber/storefrontaircraft.htm), and our Tech Page (http://www.freewebs.com/bluebomber/techcontracts.htm).what is a PFR? And Mach 3.6 is only slightly faster than our fastest planes...

Like I said our Tech Page (http://www.freewebs.com/bluebomber/techcontracts.htm) explains it a bit better. Its an improved version of Airspike technology(google it).

Edit: well not really improved, but airspike technology is too godmoddish, so this is as good as it should get

1:SCRAM jets are bad on fighters since you can't turn.
2:I could be more functional on Bomber like planes, but you can't too fast or you poilet is gonna die from the G-Force.

I use SCRAM Jets for my ICBMs, nothing else.

Like I said our Tech Page (http://www.freewebs.com/bluebomber/techcontracts.htm) explains it a bit better. Its an improved version of Airspike technology(google it).LOL Plasma?! What tech level are you?

Sorry, Raysia, but you weren't specific. My apologies.

As for this transportation thing..... You could make it in a similar concept to the Skybase you were talking about earlier, but more like a 'ship' (think of "Thunderbird 2") and having that fly with SCRAMjets. Your normal aircraft could just launch from it, on internal fuel, do what they like, land back aboard and you can go back home. This "Thunderbird 2" type airframe would be larger, could be more specifically tailored to having SCRAMjets and have more fuel capacity. It could, if you went the full way, go transatmospheric, which might well be faster. Does this help?

1:SCRAM jets are bad on fighters since you can't turn.
2:I could be more functional on Bomber like planes, but you can't too fast or you poilet is gonna die from the G-Force.

I use SCRAM Jets for my ICBMs, nothing else.Dont need to turn when flying in a straight line at a constant altitude, and G-forces come from accelleration... the accelleration on a scramjet is not much different than the accelleration on a normal engine. The only difference between a scramjet and a turbofan is that the scramjet has no moving parts that can overheat during speed... but thrust can still be controlled and/or calculated to accellerate at normal speeds.

Sorry, Raysia, but you weren't specific. My apologies.

As for this transportation thing..... You could make it in a similar concept to the Skybase you were talking about earlier, but more like a 'ship' (think of "Thunderbird 2") and having that fly with SCRAMjets. Your normal aircraft could just launch from it, on internal fuel, do what they like, land back aboard and you can go back home. This "Thunderbird 2" type airframe would be larger, could be more specifically tailored to having SCRAMjets and have more fuel capacity. It could, if you went the full way, go transatmospheric, which might well be faster. Does this help?That's not a bad idea, thanks.

Cold plasma kid, get with the times. We can store it as a near harmless gas, and charge it up with electricity when we need to manipulate it like we do with PFR. It never gets nearly as hot as hot plasma.

PLASMA FEEDS OFF LOWLY HUMANS!

Cold plasma kid, get with the times. We can store it as a near harmless gas, and charge it up with electricity when we need to manipulate it like we do with PFR. It never gets nearly as hot as hot plasma.where/how is it formed and is it modern tech?

Paraphrasing greatly off a few articles; cold plasma can be made by passing helium through specially tuned electrodes that force it to split up, unlike hot plasma, this is done without enormous quantities of energy. The machine that can make it can fit on a desk(well its around the size of a desk anyway). It can be made relatively cheaply today and is being researched for many applications.

In NS we hold the copyrights to it :-P

Oh, Raysia, if you make a SCRAMjet powered "Thunderbird 2" type transport like I suggested, count Adejaani in for R&D and buying quite a lot of units. :wink:

why not use RAMjets? they don't go as fast, but you don't have to be going at mach 4 speeds to operate them

why not use RAMjets? they don't go as fast, but you don't have to be going at mach 4 speeds to operate themnot fuel efficient, not fast enough, to bulky.

did you ever figure out what you were going to replace the zeppelins with?

did you ever figure out what you were going to replace the zeppelins with?http://www.bateshome.com/jordan/rt1907.htm
and
http://www.bateshome.com/jordan/rt2207.htm
(I took your advise and modelled the Jumbo NVTOL!)

Raysia, if you had a SCRAM jet powered skybase, the thing would be going to fast for any other aircraft to land on it.

Raysia, if you had a SCRAM jet powered skybase, the thing would be going to fast for any other aircraft to land on it.Who said anything about landing? It would just be a rocket ship to get the planes to another part of the world.