Glide-back Flying Test Bed Concept for Hypersonic Flight Test

National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) had studied basic concept of Flying Test Bed (FTB) for hypersonic airbreathing engines. Authors had initially considered that jet engines were required for fly-back cruising to launch site. But, previous study showed that the FTB had sufficient glide-back capability after acceleration to Mach 6. Therefore, the FTB is redesigned, i.e. altering rocket engine selection, body fineness ratio, wing planform shape and vehicle sub-system weights, to achieve most compact vehicle composition. Basic concepts of the FTB that is studied at the NAL are unmanned, autonomously controlled, accelerating to hypersonic region and reusable vehicle. The reliability of hypersonic airbreathing test engines to be installed on the FTB has not yet been confirmed during previous ground tests. Therefore, the FTB must maintain sufficient stability margin in case of test engine’s malfunction including sudden stop. Two rocket engines are installed at aft end of fuselage. Three propellants, which are kerosene and liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, are loaded in the FTB fuselage tanks. The FTB will take-off horizontally by rocket engines, and accelerate to Mach number of 6. The FTB will glide-back to launch site and land horizontally. Copyright © 2002 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All right reserved.