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From: megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MEGAZONE 23)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Scramjets
Keywords: What are they
Message-ID: <1990Nov21.222318.21127@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 21 Nov 90 22:23:18 GMT
References: <1990Nov20.021943.27530@cbnews.att.com>
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From: megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MEGAZONE 23)

In article <1990Nov20.021943.27530@cbnews.att.com> james@castle.ed.ac.uk (J Gillespie) writes:
>This may be a Frequently Asked Question, but what exactly is a
>'scramjet'?  I see occasional references to them, but have never seen an

A scramjet is a supersonic combustion ramjet. Usually burning liquid methane
or liquid hydrogen. The combustion takes place in a supersonic airflow.

>explanation of how they work.  Are they existing technology, or
>just-around-the-corner, or what?

It is feasible to build one today, but there is no operational aircraft so
equipped. (Well, there us there Aurora, but that may or may not exist.)
Scramjets are undergoing extensive testing for use on the X-30, the National
Aerospace Plane prototype. 

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