5 times faster than the speed of sound: scientists will develop a new type of UAV for the army

During tests, the Hellhound drone flew at a speed of more than 563 km/h, covering a distance of 20 km, and using 50% of its fuel.

Two US companies have joined forces to develop unmanned aerial systems (drones) that can fly at hypersonic speeds, or speeds five times the speed of sound, according to Interesting Engineering.

Cummings Aerospace and ATRX have signed a collaboration agreement to integrate a high-speed turbojet engine into a proven airframe to develop an affordable unmanned aerial vehicle capable of flying at supersonic and hypersonic speeds. They aim to provide the US military with affordable UAVs that will help the country expand its hypersonic drone fleet.

As part of this project, Cummings Aerospace will introduce the Hellhound family of unmanned aerial vehicles. Hellhound — it is a versatile drone with many modifications. The companies recently conducted tests of the Hellhound S3 version. It flew at a speed of more than 563 km/h, covering a distance of 20 km, and using 50% of its fuel.

The modular design of the Hellhound, manufactured using 3D printing, makes it a sustainable, affordable, multi-purpose tool that can be scaled according to the customer's needs.

ATRX will present its Air Turbo Rocket (ATR) for the project. It is a high-speed air-jet propulsion system capable of flying at speeds up to 5 times the speed of sound, according to the company. The ATR propulsion system has recently been tested, which has a fuel consumption of about 25% compared to a rocket of similar thrust.