Hello, Mach 6! Hypersonic Scramjet Shatters Speed Records

Holy *&@!... imagine flying faster than a speeding bullet. Or traveling at 1 mile per SECOND. Or being propelled 6 X the speed of sound.

Via the LA Times:

"An aircraft resembling a large bodyboard detached from a flying B-52 bomber and then shot across the Pacific on Wednesday at more than 3,500 mph, shattering aviation records and reigniting decades-long efforts to develop a vehicle that could travel faster than a speeding bullet.

The unmanned X-51 WaveRider, powered by an air-breathing hypersonic engine that has virtually no moving parts, was launched midair off the coast near Point Mugu. It sped westward for 200 seconds before plunging into the ocean as planned. Previous attempts at hypersonic flights lasted no more than 10 seconds.

Since the 1960s, the Air Force has been flirting with hypersonic technology, which can propel vehicles at a velocity that cannot be achieved from traditional turbine-powered jet engines."

Other than the obvious fact that this kind of technology is simply *extremely cool*, one may ask: "How just might this apply to me?"

A hypersonic powered passenger airplane would be able to fly from Los Angeles to New York in just 30 minutes.

Dear God, I hope it happens in my lifetime.