Project Mayhem: The US Hypersonic Bomber

[@megaprojects9649]

Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/mega - Enter promo code MEGA for 85% off and 3 extra months for free!

[@tonypate9174]

HEAD OF PUDD even uploads on Boxing day ....Bless him

[@Uahmedtahaalnady]

😁the problem if it is fuel consuming ICBM >> how it will it return back from enemy territory ..& the capiltalistim ignorant propaganda narcists want to add a pilot to this equation ... yeah to ease its capture of course 😂 tell the US propaganda to think about drones in deceiving taxpaying population .. rather than the "stealth myths" 👻

[@mikek9297]

It was a great looking plane... before some moron crashed it ;)

[@Gunni1972]

I rather enjoy the Military-sized holes in Windows since windows 98. The Heavy duty ones are the best, followed by the Tactical ones.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

10:50 ish,... that's a really messy sentence, "Twice the thrust of the Boeing 737 Max, one of the largest engines commercially available,..." As it's not the Boeing 737 Max producing the thrust, but it's LEAP-1B engines, perhaps there's meant to be an 'equipped with' in the middle there. Kinda stands out as it's not up to the usual standard on this channel ;)

[@silverthorngoodtree5533]

Fun fact, in late 1990's over montana, you could see a high altitude scramjet wake now and again. Some simple math, weather info, and you got a speed over mach 6. Pre internet though, story went no where. Still plenty of us saw it more than once, the population was so low where it flew over, I doubt more than a dozen people knew what a scram jet was.

[@MasterBlasterSr]

Yup, white sands too. Seen them myself, on missiles, unbelievably fast, makes all other missiles look slow.

[@Double_Vision]

Those good old doughnuts on a stick contrails were always something special.

[@jonathanpfeffer3716]

the us has operated a whole host of hypersonic aircraft and missiles, the idea that we haven’t is a strange myth. not sure how the myth started since many of them are public, except maybe whatever the hell you are describing.

[@4G63Tx]

The fabled Aurora? I think not only did it exist, but it was a long running testbed for this plane more than 20 years later

[@DarthTaterZ]

Can't describe how cool it would be if it turns out a classified military aircraft debuted in Top Gun. Would be like if an F-117 showed up in the original

[@DemoDick1]

That would be right in Kelly Johnson’s wheelhouse, actually. Hide in plain sight.

[@mikeharvey9184]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4rInJ-Nh7iSqMU

[@Laminar-Flow]

@@mikeharvey9184 they shot scenes at China lake for maverick; this is where some less secret and known test aircraft are flown out of. China actually retasked spy satellites (using up precious fuel) to take pictures of darkstar because their intelligence hadn’t caught any details about it and it was within a military facility

[@carinhall4508]

They couldn't even write a script for it and you think they got ultra classified access? Yeah, no.

[@carinhall4508]

@@Laminar-Flow when you see that the movie is nothing more than a flashy recruitment tool/patriotism generator, you'll begin to understand.

[@TheInsaneupsdriver]

the Saber Rocket engine company in England made a pre cooler that can be used for either rockets or turbines, mach 6 capable. they have it fully working, WELL! Lockheed bought the rights to it about 4 or 5 years back. It brings the air down to -150C in a fraction of a second and somehow got by the frost problem with sucking that much heat out of air. they used the super cooled fuel through a device that looks like a refrigerator cooler wrapped around a safety cone, but allot beefier. the plan was for a single stage trans atmospheric hybrid rocket plane. atleast the engine works! they've been working on it since the early 70's

[@herbertkeithmiller]

1:58 the SR-71 didn't have glass windows they had fused silica quartz windows because of the temperature the outside of the aircraft would reach. Glass couldn't handle the temperature difference and might crack fused quartz could. Most everything about the SR-71 had to be designed around the heat the aircraft would generate in flight. This made it very expensive to operate.

[@Laminar-Flow]

The engines were so optimized for high speed flight they needed to be started with triethylborane

[@tlxatom7004]

@@Laminar-Flow yep that fuel had such a high flashpoint

[@Laminar-Flow]

@@tlxatom7004Flashpoint doesn’t really have anything to do with the use of triethylborane, it had to do with the main fuel. Triethylborane has a very low flashpoint (-20 C roughly), however it ignites upon contact with oxygen. It was used to START the engines… The acronym for it was TEB and there was a switch + counter in the cockpit telling the pilot how many TEB shots or starts were left before they ran out. SR-71’s actual fuel had a high flashpoint because it had a dual use (to cool the skin of the aircraft) and it could not be risked that fuel in tank would ignite. The main fuel could have a match dropped into it and the flame would be extinguished. More commonly known as low volatility fuel than low flashpoint fuel.

[@chriswilliams2928]

@@Laminar-Flow a close friend of mine used to buy the fuel for the SR71

[@charlesgrove6905]

@@Laminar-Flow If I remembered correctly they often would leak fuel on the runway due to the necessity to design for thermal expansion in the shell. I think this also played into the use of that particular fuel chemistry.

[@HomeSlice97]

I always kind of assumed that we’d eventually get back to prioritizing speed in aircraft, as detection improved

[@JohnnyWednesday]

Speed is stealth given the altitude that speed allows it to reach

[@badluck5647]

Is it even possible for a pilot to survive the Gs from a plane that can outrun a hypersonic missle?

[@matthewdavis7588]

@@badluck5647 we’ve sent people to space and those have some pretty crazy speeds and G forces on them I don’t see why the same couldn’t be done here

[@JohnnyWednesday]

@@badluck5647 - As long as you accelerate within the human body's limits - then you can go as fast as you like - just try not to stop or start suddenly.

[@Uahmedtahaalnady]

😁the problem if it is fuel consuming ICBM >> how it will it return back from enemy territory ..& the capiltalistim ignorant propaganda narcists want to add a pilot to this equation ... yeah to ease its capture of course 😂 tell the US propaganda to think about drones in deceiving taxpaying population .. rather than the "stealth myths" 👻

[@exist]

As someone who's talked to previous Skunkworks engineers, that worked in these SAP's, the turbine-based combine cycle engine was built and tested throughout the 80's and 90's on experimental airframes. The main issue I heard was that they kept having engine malfunctions when switching to the secondary propulsion system. Wouldn't surprise me if they've got it working already, as well as have the actual aircraft already flying.

[@Jadefox32]

well it wouldn't surprise me if this was the basis for strange contrail formations reminiscent of a scramjet engine sometimes seen in satellite photos in the 1980s and 90s. Project Aroura was probably a test bed for these (something the airforce kept saying didn't exist.

[@Denpachii]

@@Jadefox32 It does not exist until it does, when they can't hide it anymore, and you find there are already six in use.

[@danceyrselfkleen]

Why would you lie about talking to engineers?

[@exist]

@@danceyrselfkleen You can say I'm lying all you want, doesn't change the facts lmfao

[@exist]

@@Jadefox32 This is what I was told, was never told what aircrafts were tested with them, but they did confirm there were multiple prototypes being tested with these engines. I'm guessing it was around the time they were talking about a Blackbird replacement. Also to add some validity, all the contrails in the 80s and 90s were in the direct flight paths from the Skunkworks Palmdale facility, out to Edwards, and over to Nellis/Groom.

[@markbailey6230]

No one really knows how fast the SR-71 could really fly. I've listened to several of Brian Shul's motivational talks, (one in person) and he said many times that he always had "Plenty of throttle left" when he was flying at the top end of the high speed envelope. Obviously the airframe had it's speed limits, but they were all theoretical limits based on engineering. Who knows, maybe it could do mach 4 for short sprints. It was Brian's back seater in the Libya mission that told him he should pull back on the throttles before he flew it apart, although in nicer words. Long live the SR-71 and it's successors.

[@christophermitchell7001]

The Lockheed "Have Blue" was first flown in the mid 1970's ( after being drawn up in the late 60's) , and its production model the f-117 wasn't shown to the public until the early 90's after it had already been used in Panama and the first yf-22 and yf-23 models were already being put together. Additionally, the initial programs that led to the JSF ( and the f-35) program were being spun up and were in place before the testing of the f-22 and 23 even really got underway.... Id wager that, If they are showing us this thing and telling us all about what it may be able to do, then it actually can do a lot more and they are already building ( maybe even flying) its replacement while they are making plans for that replacement's replacement.

[@Laminar-Flow]

Yes. Just yes.

[@aluisious]

@@Laminar-Flow you've got boot polish on your lip

[@Laminar-Flow]

@@aluisious🤡

[@DadJeff-jo7pm]

I've talked with a couple of Pilots of the Blackbird (SR-71) the top speed is downplayed due to National Security reasons. Its rated speed of Mach 3 is nowhere near the actual top speed. The X-15 Exceeded Mach 6 prior to exiting the Atmosphere, climbing above the Karman Line 100KM. The Blackbird exited the Atmosphere as well 1 time, the Pilot cut the engines carefully eased the craft out of the envelope, then carefully eased back in re-lit the engines and continued his mission. This is part of the reason Pilots wear NASA Space-suits with Oxygen packs included. Not just because of the scarcity of breathable air at 85,000 feet, or the freezing temps.

[@zachtroxclair5653]

They wear space suits because at the altitude they flew at if they lost pressurization they would die from their blood boiling. Same reason an astronaut wears a suit not just because of the lack of oxygen. Boiling points of fluid change with pressure.

[@Flameancer]

If this is actually true then I see why we’re getting a space force. We have fighters in earth orbit/beyond?!

[@AnnWahlquist]

​@@zachtroxclair5653exactly.....

[@proteusnz99]

Actually I think Mach 3.3-3.7 is a reasonable limit for the A-12/SR-71. The airframe was basically heat-treated on each supersonic flight, so reputedly got stronger over the years. I would suggest that the limiting factor might be the Mach cone (shock wave) coming off the nose, past Mach 3.7 the nose shock will start to intersect the engine inlets, an engine unstart at that sort of speed would probably exceed structural strength of the airframe.

[@michaelpipkin9942]

Building the models of the "Stealth Fighter" before the public knew what it looked like was fun. They came out with some wild designs. One looked like the smooth quiver of an arrow, the other look like, well, this.

[@kennethng8346]

I recall a model maker came out with what they thought was the missing F17. It had ultra smooth curves everywhere. And then the F117 came out with flat panels everywhere. Whoops.

[@michaelpipkin9942]

@@kennethng8346 That's the "smooth quiver of an arrow" I meant. The opposite direction but still cool.

[@Pijawek]

The story of this model is a bit more complicated, but really wild. In 1982 USAF decided, that the new plane made by Northrop would be called F-20. The last one was the F-18 and many people asked why they skipped number 19. In reality, it was because of Northrop - F-20 was designed to sell abroad, and Russians used odd numbers for their planes - i.e. MiG-15, 19, 21, or Su-17 and 27, so the Northrop boys wanted an even number so there will be no confusion. But many believed that F-19 is the new secret stealth fighter, that many people were talking about. Testors, a well known model company, decided to capitalize on that rumors and introduced a model of the hypothetical F-19 in 1986. Making models of machines that don't exist isn't all that uncommon, but at that time everybody knew that USAF is getting a new stealth fighter. Testors as a company worked closely with american aviation industry, producing higly detailed models for pilot training and engineers. So when they introduced that model, everybody assumed that it's based on the real stealth fighter. When F117 crashed a little bit later, many televisions used F-19 model as an ilustration. One congresmann even oficially asked Lockheed why they refuse to show them the stealth fighter since they showed it to Testors. In 1988 F-117 was officialy revealed, and it didn't look anything like the F-19 model. But Testors didn't mind - all the publicity made their model insanely popular, and today it's commonly assumed that it was the best selling scale model of all times.

[@darksuit9035]

I had the Y-shaped one that resembled a fidget spinner (or the three ended foam boomerang thing)

[@hobbyhermit66]

I have the Testors F19 and the counterpart to it in my model room, still in their boxes. Both kool designs.

[@fergusuan7371]

Just to be clear, the SR-71 was NEVER "towed into the air". It's P&W J58 engines had variable geometry intake cones that directed high pressure air through bypass tubes around the engine core and straight into the afterburner to work as a ramjet. This was only used at altitude and the engines ran as afterburning turbojets at normal altitude... Hence the many videos of performance takeoffs at airshows. That statement was simply drivel.

[@thehobbyguy7089]

Simon, I'm sure you know this, but if you do not. The Chinese were so concerned by the rolling model of the Darkstar created by Lockheed for Maverick, they retasked one of their satellites to get a closer look at it.

[@andreawinship6987]

How unusual is this actually, for the development of new technology designed in part to attack news China?

[@johnholbrooks4394]

I have several questions but we all know the first rule of project mayhem. You do not ask questions 😂

[@Jadefox32]

Well you can ask questions just don't expect answers

[@caseytopan5977]

Don’t talk about **********

[@crazyeyez1502]

Mr Durden won't be happy.

[@timewave02012]

His name is Robert Paulson

[@jamesspry3294]

Awesome! My favourite plane is/was the SR71 and a little piece of me died when it was retired... Now I can be happy knowing that it's children live on!

[@bobbobinson2649]

Yea it’s a cool plane and this new one is also cool as well

[@martinstallard2742]

1:00 the need for speed 2:55 powering the SR-72 5:58 sponsorship 7:22 stealth vs. speed 10:24 project mayhem

[@haydnw869]

You bloody Beauty 🇦🇺

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

It actually started at 0:17

[@militaryenthusiast1929]

@@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88 chief complainer 😂

[@dudepool7530]

My kinda keyboard warrior 🤣

[@DonutsIceCreamAndCottenCandy]

Thx

[@104thDIVTimberwolf]

We were hearing rumors about this as I was getting out of the Air Force in 1988. It was unofficially referred to as Aurora.

[@cahg3871]

Project Aurora was the designation for the hypersonic aircraft program,so you nailed it.There are many who thought it was the name for a singular jet.✌️

[@RCAvhstape]

J-58 engines were used in the SR-71, which never needed to be towed and was perfectly capable of taking and landing under its own power. I think you've got something mixed up there.

[@rolfkarlstad4015]

He's always got a handful of complete gibberish non-facts in his videos. Cool beard, though.

[@bigrob966]

I am almost positive it was yet another misunderstanding regarding the D-21, which wasn't towed, but used a ramjet.

[@cruisinguy6024]

These videos have been rampant with false information lately

[@RCAvhstape]

@@cruisinguy6024 The research staff may be getting stretched a bit thin perhaps.

[@cruisinguy6024]

@@RCAvhstape wouldn’t surprise me, seems like they have at least 50 different channels at this point each of which puts out 5 videos a week lol

[@TacticalBeard]

3:00 almost reminds me of the Normandy SR1

[@GrimmHades]

Maybe be mass effect was played during design phase

[@Uahmedtahaalnady]

😁the problem if it is fuel consuming ICBM >> how it will it return back from enemy territory ..& the capiltalistim ignorant propaganda narcists want to add a pilot to this equation ... yeah to ease its capture of course 😂 tell the US propaganda to think about drones in deceiving taxpaying population .. rather than the "stealth myths" 👻

[@patgiblinsongs5]

Simon, thank you for these videos, I love your content! But, there are at least 2 inaccuracies in your writer’s research concerning the SR-71. The J-58 engine could absolutely take the SR-71 from the ground to its max speed and altitude without any external assistance, save a quick meet up with a KC-135. Also, while several SR-71’s were lost due to catastrophic yaws, that was an issue that the crews and Skunk Works personnel worked hard to resolve. Had “tumbling end over end” happened every time each aircraft reached higher altitudes, the program would’ve quickly been killed, rather than being honorably retired…twice.

[@chaycecole4466]

Sadly, we just lost Brian Shul. He had such an amazing life from tragedy, recovery, to breaking records. He dedicated his life to motivating and inspiring anyone and everyone. Such a beautiful soul and legend gone has been lost.

[@jc1982discovery]

If they are giving details out it likely means they have already built and are flying it, hermeus have just built a engine which can make the transition. Love this channel keep up the great work 👍

[@ace9xx]

If I remember correctly from somewhere, it is a common misconception that the heat is generated by friction. In reality, the majority of the temperature increase comes from a pressure build-up and the friction contributes too, but in a much smaller part.

[@erasmus_locke]

Just imagine if we got a b21 raider level of stealth but with the speed and altitude of an SR-71

[@reloadss4680]

they got the altitude maybe we have to see the wing desigin the orginal b2 was supposed to fly high then the airforce wanted a lower flying bomber

[@creepycraiyons3519]

Shhhh

[@justinpaul3110]

Unfortunately, what makes planes fast and maneuverable also makes it more easily spotted by radar.

[@reloadss4680]

@@creepycraiyons3519 Lmao

[@kennethng8346]

The thermal emissions of this craft will make it real easy to locate without radar. Airplanes have always been a balancing act. If you ever see something that can do everything and has no disadvantages, it probably isn't totally real.

[@dextermorgan1]

You can bet we already have one of these in service. The US has had a Hypersonic aircraft since the early 90s. It was picked up on seismometers in California on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. It traveled from area 51, over California, out over the ocean and back.

[@RuiLuz]

The "Project Aurora" you mean, not sure if it was hypersonic, but it had indeed some exotic means of propulsion.

[@kennethng8346]

Testing or in service? I'm sure the US has done technology demonstration planes, but they may have been too expensive to field (yes even for the US). Orrrrrr, they kept running the conventional engines until they were far at sea (and away from seismic detectors) and then lit the high speed engines.

[@dextermorgan1]

@Anne Frank Vape Pen Yes.

[@dextermorgan1]

@@RuiLuz I don't know if it was necessary project Aurora, but something traveling at Hypersonic speeds was definitely tracked by the USGS back in the 90's. It was flying at or above 100,000 ft. As far as the Aurora goes, I tend to believe Ben Rich when he said that was the code name for the B2 while it was being built.

[@dextermorgan1]

@@kennethng8346 Testing as far as I know. Some aviation buffs saw what looked like a 1/4 scale demonstrator landing in Palmdale in 2018 I believe it was. By now, who knows what they've accomplished with the program. The US has let the Russians and Chinese get ahead in hypersonic missile tech(and even that's debatable) but I highly doubt they've let them get ahead in hypersonic airplane tech also. There's some really cool stuff flying around out in the desert, and over the ocean.

[@Tomyironmane]

Upon death, a member of Project Mayhem has a name. *His* name is Robert Paulsen.

[@danceyrselfkleen]

Grow up

[@dudepool7530]

@@danceyrselfkleen grow a sense of humor.

[@dudepool7530]

His name is Robert Paulson. His name is Robert Paulson.

[@zachbase1124]

His name is Robert Paulson. His name is Robert Paulson.

[@bremnersghost948]

Neil Armstrong would have Loved this!! From X15 to Aurora/Darkstar.

[@scoobyruuuu]

Brian Shul has one of the most inspiring stories ever. Also the largest private collection of Sr71 photos.

[@ZeeBri]

THE FIRST RULE OF PROJECT MAYHEM IS THAT YOU DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS

[@Chronozia]

I was wondering how far I'd have to scroll before I saw something like this. Turns out, I only had to scroll about half a page lol

[@robert1marshall]

The dark star was first hinted at in an interview from Ben rich in 1995 just a few months before he passed away.

[@Kenneth_James]

Not glass windows. They were made of 1.25-inch thick solid quartz.

[@scottturcotte1860]

I got a laugh about how the Chinese were pranked, when their spy satellite was taking pictures of a movie prop Darkstar... thinking it was a new supersecret aircraft! LOL

[@joelrowbotham180]

NASA talked about using a similar concept to make the first true space plane over a decade ago but didn’t have the finding to pursue it. A space plane that can take off from a regular runway with ramjet engines, switch over to scramjets to get it the edge of space, and then use small rocket engines to boost it into low earth orbit. Would’ve dropped the cost of space flight by an insane amount, but sadly think the space shuttle disasters scared them away from it

[@fireblade8998]

I knew blaze boy would keep bringing the good videos over the holidays.

[@Uahmedtahaalnady]

😁the problem if it is fuel consuming ICBM >> how it will it return back from enemy territory ..& the capiltalistim ignorant propaganda narcists want to add a pilot to this equation ... yeah to ease its capture of course 😂 tell the US propaganda to think about drones in deceiving taxpaying population .. rather than the "stealth myths" 👻

[@timbrwolf1121]

I bet top gun didn't spend a dime on military aircraft this time around for 2 reasons. 1. The military is having dire recruitment issues. When the original top gun released the recruitment for the navy skyrocketed. 2. The filming was probably pretty good training.

[@jeremythornton433]

"It can't be done". Skunkworks: "Hold my beer".

[@WasabiSniffer]

The first rule of Project Mayhem is we don’t ask questions

[@Hooyahfish]

Lol. I came here looking for this comment.

[@dudepool7530]

Wait... what was the first rule again? 🤣

[@Gunni1972]

@@dudepool7530 Ask the Marketing and PR-team. We have no Infos to share.

[@nil981]

Correction: hypersonic speed starts at mach 5 and goes up to mach 10.

[@niros9667]

Literally looks like a Mass Effect ship irl... Such a cool project.

[@TedinLasVegas]

The SR-71 pilot was not the fastest man on earth at Mach 3.5 when X-15 pilots hit Mach 6.7.

[@howhigh0521]

The first rule of project mayhem is you don’t talk about project mayhem😂

[@Anenome5]

His name was Simon Whistler. His name was Simon Whistler.

[@WRuiz10768]

There's no in-air refueling for "hypersonic" vehicles. The heat alone would "cook" the fuel if it touched the surfaces.

[@LostDisciple24]

As someone who was in the AF and who "worked" at Area 51 "with" General Dynamics (among other companies), Project Mayhem is the modern version of the famed "Aurora bomber." I also got to see the B21 Raider (before it was called that) up close...though what was actually released is largely different. The most impressive that I saw up close was the 6th gen fighter (the code name changed often) that was originally planned to replace ALL fighters in our arsenal with this 6th gen fighter. I got to see some schematics that, as I was told, were supposed to replace the A10 Warthog. I do believe that was scrapped eventually.

[@LostDisciple24]

@Ianardo um, those aren't secrets. Everything I said is available to the public. As for you doubting me doing any of that...that is your problem.

[@hobbyhermit66]

Never heard of SR71 tumbling. It's shape should prevent that. It did tend to yaw badly if one engine flamed out. I think the SR72 is more speculation than anything else. That, or it's already in service. Hard to say, with Skunkworks.

[@JohnMartin-bd8mh]

The plane thermal images after a Mach 6 run will be hard to overcome even for todays stealth platforms.

[@irjake]

1st rule: You don't ask questions about Project Mayhem. 2nd rule: You don't ask questions about Project Mayhem

[@puirYorick]

I’m curious about the challenge of maintaining aircraft integrity while opening the weapons bays at mission speeds then achieving a safe deployment of any weapons package without compromising speed or stealth.🧐

[@rayanaltowayan9558]

What a brilliant question

[@puirYorick]

@@rayanaltowayan9558 We already know that radar stealth is compromised at sub- and low supersonic speeds in 5th generation fighters once the weapons bay is opened. At hypersonic speeds, just safely opening the bay then safely *and* successfully separating a weapon is a massive challenge for aircraft structural integrity let alone any hint of stealth. To use an example from fiction, it's akin to teleportation of living people from the surface of a planet to a ship passing by at high warp speeds. Two fantastically complex technologies each need to work flawlessly in conjunction while mutually compromising one of their safe operational parameters at the same moment. In films, the writers "just arm wave it" into being successful as my Calculus Professor once said. However a real engineering solution is need IRL.

[@borysnijinski331]

You cannot equate thrust to horsepower, because thrust is a force in Newtons and horsepower is a measure of how fast work is done in units on Newton-metres per second. Which means that while engine thrust does not change with speed, horsepower starts at 0hp with zero speed and increases as speed increases.

[@adasterdezaster2865]

Man the plane that tows a SR-71 into the air must be hella fast. Come on Simon really?

[@chris-vn6sw]

The SR1 speed was it’s home advantage ! A object passing through air creates a wake however stealthy..

[@badluck5647]

This is the first time Simon has mentioned Tom Cruise without giggling like a schoolgirl.

[@MirzaAhmed89]

Cruise. He's not Hispanic.

[@GabeGettinRich]

@@MirzaAhmed89 I love this response, cause it's exactly what i was gonna say.

[@Denpachii]

@@MirzaAhmed89 Who knows these days. That pronoun thingy might pop up with him at some point.

[@badluck5647]

@@MirzaAhmed89 Everyone loves the grammar police 🙄

[@MathiasHeinel]

So this is a strongly souped up XB-70? They shure took their time!

[@5uwkn4]

4:23 The SR-71 was not towed into the air

[@pauljaworski9386]

I caught that one to.

[@WWeronko]

4:11 "Scramjets have only been used in boost guide missiles." At the present there are no operational scramjets in boosted missiles or otherwise.

[@Dr.GeoDave]

While not air breathing, the X-15 was flown significantly faster than the SR-71.

[@Gunni1972]

But it didn't Carry 5 times it's mass in a Bay. LOL, listen to the requirements.They are Physically IMPOSSIBLE.

[@Redbikemaster]

I knew it! When I was in the theater and I saw the Skunk Works logo, I knew it had serious input.

[@jay-t1030]

American citizens: “Can we just have healthcare and a living wage” American Government: “Best I can do is a hyper sonic bomber”

[@christophergoodman404]

Best we can do is send 100 billion to the most corrupt country in Europe

[@randallvickers8509]

Can we just get a job

[@getnohappy]

While a fun meme, it's actually really frustrating as the US healthcare system is the most inefficient in the Western world. If it changed to almost any European system you'd get cheaper healthcare and a healthier working population without cutting the military industrial complex ^^ they might actually get more cash if insurance money wasn't going to the Cayman islands and millions of working hours weren't lost to preventable health issues

[@badluck5647]

America has to spend more on the military to pay for the defense of the freeloaders in Europe.

[@geridamas935]

Living wage is on businesses, not the government. Rent and property costs are on the government.

[@pdxaviation]

Damn it, Simon!!! I told myself I'd only watch a few before I went on to other things. Now it's about four hours later, and here I still am...

[@Churchill250267]

The “SR-72” might be capable of hypersonic speeds but it’ll have to slow down to refuel.

[@ronaldmasterbud1551]

Everyone seems to Forget that in The Mid / Late 80's Arojet ( in Folsom Ca. ) Developed A Scramjet Engine for Boing Avation For there Mach 5 Pasenger Jet. It Was Designed to Run on Hydrogen, and was a Compound Jet Engine Turbojet @ Subsonic through Mach 1.25 Then Pure Ramjet Through Mach 5+. I Used to Listen to It Running For Almost A Decade. The First 4'ish Years of Development They Ran It All The Time, Even After Boing Canceled the Project, They Continued Developing The Scramjet For Future Possible Projects. They Had to Build A Special Test Cell That Feed Supersonic " Clean " Laminar air into the Motor. You Could Always Tell The Difference Between The Scramjet and The Testing of The Way More Common Solid & Liquid Rocket Motors. The Closest Thing That I Could Describe the Sound As, Was That Horrible T.V. Show Air Wolf. When They Would Hit the Turbo Button on the Helicopter, and Fly Supersonic.

[@theangrymarmot8336]

"The film was delayed 4 years due to the COVID 19 pandemic" - Correction : The film was delayed for 4 years to maximize profits and bring in the most money.

[@dudepool7530]

2 things can be true.

[@RDROff]

Speed is a lot more fun to talk about, but efficiency/range is arguably far more important. "I have a need for speed" is a lot more sexier than "I have a need for unrefueled range."

[@Gunni1972]

I hope this PR-Stunt will be a lesson to all the Financiers of such Projects. Have you ever tried to open a Payload bay at such speeds? and will, whatever it May drop on it's enemies (if it doesn't disintegrate in the process) be able to deal with the transition? Or will it just drop rocks, at almost meteorite speeds?

[@physchir]

As with stealth, when they weapons bay open, all advantages are gone. Same I guess for hypersonic.... maybe slow to sonic range and accelerate back to hyper after weapons deploy? 🤔

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@Powerflinch They tried something like that with the old Vigilante and also with the Valkyrie. I know at least once with the Vigilante, they had the "bomb" get trapped in the slipstream of the aircraft and follow it.

[@tavi9598]

It's mentioned that the engines are designed to transition from high and fast to low and stealthy, and vice versa. Presumably you are not opening a payload bay at Mach 10, but rather at a more reasonable speed. Then throttling up and away before any antiair defense systems can catch you. Then again, the SR-classification is for reconnaissance craft, so there may not be a payload bay either. There's a lot of spitballing going on about an aircraft nobody can confirm exists, nevermind what it's capable of.

[@ivarwind]

I don't know, but maybe they've developed this advanced concept hitherto confined to the realm of science fiction, called "slowing down." It's theorized that it could also make landing easier.

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@ivarwind The problem with slowing down TOO far from hyper-sonic speeds is you can't restart those engines without an outside boost. And even at high sub-sonic speed you don't want to open a belly bomb-bay. Not if you want to maintain control of your aircraft at least!

[@serdarcam99]

the fact you can fly hypersonically only on hight altidutes because any material we have right now will melt down so they have to slow down into supersonic regime to attack which can be intercepted rather easily hypersonic veichles more or less useless they need to introduce kinetic weapons that can drop from so high so it doesent matter material will soften or not when it hit the ground it would be carrying so much energy it will make any defence simply obsolete

[@NonEuclideanTacoCannon]

I have never heard that the SR 71 had to be towed into the air, and I've read and watched an enormous amount of SR-71 content. You sure that's true?

[@jdsd744]

I agree. It has to be pumped full of jetfuel til the very last minute, but launches on its own power. The inefficient engines then seal gaps in the wing and the fluids stop leaking as the airframe heats under its own control.

[@Raykahn]

There is video of it taking off on its own. Not sure where his research told him that the j58 required towing.

[@rolfkarlstad4015]

as usual, he's almost without any sort of clue. Clearly he just relies on copy generated by someone else, maybe a crappy AI?

[@robertf3479]

I've watched the Blackbird launch from Kadena AFB on Okinawa back in the mid 1970s. It wasn't towed, it took off under its own power, the J-58 engines with full afterburner shook the ground miles away. The plane would take off conventionally then climb out at high speed to meet up with a KC-135 tanker to refuel.

[@NonEuclideanTacoCannon]

Maybe he meant it figuratively and it came out wrong.

[@EAWanderer]

13:00 - Sweet machine! Looks demonic! 😍

[@Uahmedtahaalnady]

😁the problem if it is fuel consuming ICBM >> how it will it return back from enemy territory ..& the capiltalistim ignorant propaganda narcists want to add a pilot to this equation ... yeah to ease its capture of course 😂 tell the US propaganda to think about drones in deceiving taxpaying population .. rather than the "stealth myths" 👻

[@solarfunction1847]

Imagine Tungsten tipped guided missiles being dropped from this Hypersonic Bomber, just the shear impact forces of Tungsten travelling at over Mach 10 would be devastating not to mention cheap.

[@kvngrxuge3397]

+ a depleted uranium core

[@billma8]

Rods from God. Also a really cool theoretical space warfare platform.

[@solarfunction1847]

@@billma8 Unfortunately too heavy for space deployment, better to have a smaller precise package to be launched from aircraft which would be much cheaper.

[@Gunni1972]

@@billma8 Another Pipe dream. A Tungsten rod would simply smash through a lot of Materials without transferring the energy.(that's WHY you use it as Armor piercing ammo) If your goal is a tiny, but deep crater, yes. viable. If you think of it as an "Earthquake inducing Impact", go back to school.

[@kennethohnemus3192]

And it would make a neat splash

[@dennismurithi3978]

Simon is a real British person, he can't forget tea

[@channelview8854]

I never before heard anything about the SR-71 having to be towed to altitude by a "guide plane." In fact, I understood the J-58 functioned as a conventional jet at low speeds allowing takeoff and landing like any other plane. So...?

[@everettputerbaugh3996]

The J-58 used the bypass air around the turbojet engine in order to use the strengthened afterburner as a ramjet. It had an annoying tendency to enter an "un-start state", requiring the pilot to constantly monitor the gauges.

[@shmaknapublar]

@@everettputerbaugh3996 FYI - Most of the thrust created by the J-58 engine system as installed in the SR-71 occurred in the intake section at max cruise speed. At best the ejector nozzle added a little less than 30% of total thrust, around 17% from the engine exhaust and the rest from the intake physics. The Concorde was even better at harnessing intake thrust with a percentage in the high 60's.

[@atatoraman9257]

The horsepower estimate noted at 10:49 is a little wrong. The estimation of the power of the engine should come from the multiplication of its thrust times the speed then it should be converted in to the proper unit of power. So its even more crazy how much power these engines would provide! Quick maths: 58,000 N of thrust * 3,400 m/s at top speed * 0.00134 (for converting from N*m/s to HP) = 264,000 HP ... This might also be per engine... For a sense of scale a 777 produces about 170,000 HP at its cruising speed and is in the Guinness world records book for that.

[@itsOnMARS2023]

I wonder how loud the sonic booms will be when this absolute monster of a machine reaches the skies!

[@errorbyte7657]

The same as any other sonic boom

[@TheOriginalFaxon]

@@errorbyte7657 That's not how sonic shockwaves work though. A bullet traveling just above mach 1 makes a different shockwave than the same bullet traveling at mach 3, and a different sound when it goes by at those speeds. both sonic shockwaves are VASTLY different than the sonic shockwave produced by any military jet out there. There is currently research into how to make a supersonic passenger jet with a sonic boom that sounds more like a sonic car door slamming somewhere down the block, or thunder in the distance. I've no idea where you got this idea, but it has zero basis in reality.

[@bmw328igearhead]

@@xisusformerlyderucci9444 mmmm yeah, go back to the engineering jargon video you just came from... the joke's old...

[@dudepool7530]

@@xisusformerlyderucci9444 if that tech is legitimate, then why aren't we talking about the Concord coming back?

[@Birdie0909]

@@TheOriginalFaxon Isn't it something about the size of the object breaking the speed of sound makes different sound waves, but the actual loudness of boom is around the same (110db according to NASA) They just sound different?

[@More-Space-In-Ear]

They basically showed the plane right under the noses of the powers of might with the words of..."show it in a film and they're think its CGI"...

[@pauljaworski9386]

Many speculate that the SR72 is gonna be a non pilot air craft. A drone. Then there's no worries about G-Forces or what ever.

[@normanpotts9476]

drones are boring

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

Its likely to be both with some piloted and some drones

[@bleachorange]

All of these speed records, milestones, and firsts would be for air breathing engines. The x 57 dynosaur was truly a marvel of engineering and basically has every one of those records that you could want for something that never actually achieved orbit.

[@InquisMalleus]

Here's a minor issue with a hypersonic plane - the SR-71 had a small radar signature on its own. Just flying along, it didn't really show up on radar. That, of course, didn't particularly matter, because no matter how small the plane's radar signature was, the turbulence showed up on radar multiple times the size of the plane. You would have a tiny little plane radar signature, but a radar-visible turbulence wake the size of a small naval destroyer - not exactly the most stealthy there. And then there was also the thermal signature, which is pretty much impossible to hide - because how can you hide an IR signature of something at 2000C? You can't. That's why all the innovations in stealth on a Blackbird were ultimately useless to the plane - the radar and infrared signatures of the turbulence and the infrared signature of the plane itself couldn't be hidden. An SR-71 would have to sit on the base for an hour after a flight with the crew in it so the plane's hull could cool down enough that they could leave. Otherwise, their boots and gloves would melt just touching the surfaces of the plane.

[@eddean6663]

Turbojet J-79 with upgraded parts. They were mostly coated steel attached to a scramjet.

[@hermitcrabbot]

Any news on the next-generation 'rotary detonation' engine powered hypersonic jet?

[@ridethecurve55]

You mean the old 'Wanka' engine design? Uh....it didn't work.

[@Laminar-Flow]

Nope

[@jacobhudock9099]

"What do you get when you cross a ballistic missile with a turbojet aircraft capable of precision bombing any target on earth from a range of over 10,000 miles in a little more than an hour?" Not healthcare I'm guessing 😂😂😭

[@bobingabout]

Every time you said "Project Mayhem", I couldn't help but think of the movie "Fight club". Project Mayhem is the code-name for the gang that goes around blowing things up in the later chapters of the movie.

[@dannylo5875]

Like too secret fighter stuff, including jet fighters

[@Bandanko]

@@kestrel2120 well it's project mayhem and the first rule is you dont ask questions

[@dayshon124]

This makes me think it's not even the main plane, but a testbed for the airframes perfection along what engine is powering it, like, it wasn't said but I feel the B1B And B1R aren't what the military were looking for so their doing more testing. It's not what your being told it's what's not said that should be looked at.

[@dudepool7530]

Someone call Tyler, we got some balls to cut off.

[@petersaczko6192]

SR-71 Blackbird SR-72 Robert Paulson

[@Bandanko]

the first rule of project mayhem is you do not ask questions - they seriously named this after a fight club quote?! :O

[@DanielDogeanu]

If they pull it off, they could also revolutionize space travel!

[@hgrueber38]

As a backup measure, do stealth aircraft in general have some sort of electronic jamming capabilities like the EA-18 growler?

[@jasonhurdlow6607]

By the sounds of it, the B-21 does.

[@pauld6967]

I only have two comments on this one: 1) Well done Simon and team. Another good video. 2) I always go with Clarence "Kelly" Johnson's definition for a hypersonic aircraft: Mach 5.

[@Gunni1972]

But with AA-Missiles already twice as fast. WHAT'S THE POINT OF IT?

[@turbot_]

The problem with VPNs is more and more apps are starting to refuse to work with them turned on. It's so frustrating.

[@angryroostercreations5194]

I wonder if a bomb can be deployed at hypersonic speeds? If the weapons are stored in an internal bomb bay, what would happen when you open those doors at mach 10? would it cause the craft to burn up and break apart?

[@jackhemsworth7515]

if the friction on the missile casing gets so hot the internals combust, yes, that can happen.

[@Gunni1972]

@@jackhemsworth7515 Have you ever seen Aerodynamic Bomb bays? The inflow would be hitting the back wall with such a tremendous force, it would act like a drag chute, if not outright tear off the back of the plane, or warp the airframe to a point, where a safe landing is not possible anymore.

[@yupyup4209]

I imagine they would have to be deployed high up in near space where there is less air friction

[@WayneTheSeine]

I suspect this one is already in service. I may have heard one, a couple of years ago while fishing. The sonic boom was beyond belief and peeled thorugh the forest nearby. It was on an east to west trajectory. Keep in mind, I am old enough to have lived through the era of sonic booms being common place. This was so far beyond that type of closing envelope.

[@BravoCheesecake]

A thought just came to me. So I imagine something like this would not be stealthy, but would be meant to bait and outrun inbound air defense missiles. After the air defenses have turned on their radars and bagan firing at the "bait" aircraft, B-21's would home in on the radiation sources and eliminate their targets. After this, stealth fighters such as NGAD would swoop in and take on any remaining fighter threats. Full air superiority is achieved.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Hypersonic variant of the Iron Hand/Wild Weasel mission; interesting take!

[@dvergar1]

Hang on. Around 4:55 you mentioned the jet being "rearmed" in the air? Is this a thing? Are there any operational aircraft that do ordinance UNSUP midair?

[@randybentley2633]

It sounds like this aircraft, with its potential to have a bomber focus, should be called the Son of Valkyrie and not Blackbird. The Blackbird had its heyday, but the XB-70 never did.

[@dosentmatter1593]

4:25 Guide plane?, Towing?

[@honeybadger4198]

fastest manned flight on record is actually the x-15...while it wasnt capable of taking off by itself it still holds the record for fastest MANNED flight in the earth's atmosphere

[@Flies2FLL]

Atmospheric heating is interesting. Did you know that at mach 0.80, or about 480 knots, the speed that most airliners fly at, the atmospheric heating due to air drag is about 80 fahrenheit degrees? It may be -56 degrees at that altitude, but the surfaces of the plane where the wind hits the most will be about 24 degrees F because of the frictional heating. Obviously this is at the most frictional point; temperature varies so much that this is a non-issue.

[@kiwi_comanche]

"I don't like that look, Whistler." "It's the only one I have old chap!!"

[@davidhunter9974]

Could it be that the SR72/Darkstar or project Mayhem is the aircraft many people have been talking about for years now to be the Aurora?🤔 I’ve watched and read multiple videos and articles talking about its existence and people from different parts of the world having seeing sightings of a black triangular object..

[@bremnersghost948]

Could well be, Check out Professor Simon Holland.

[@Laminar-Flow]

No, it would likely be a predecessor if they are putting out public contract requests They likely are flying the next ‘Aurora’ now

[@davidhunter9974]

@@Laminar-Flow That’s a possibility

[@ednacontreras4153]

Seriously hard work f111 motors inside the SR-71 we're essentially ram Jets via turbine motors / air deflection had happened thus the ram jet configuration could take over quite a unique build...

[@rickj6348]

The 737MAX LEAP engine is NOT one of the largest aircraft engines, Simon. Look at the 777 Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines, or the 787 GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine for the largest engines.

[@eretareodjugo]

The new GE 9x and Rolls Royce Ultra fan are the largest

[@mh3594]

I think the ge might be a tad bigger

[@NnH_Kairyu]

Well, technically he can say "One of the largest", if you're referencing "within the top 20 out of 200 engine types".

[@runandsnipe]

Touch grass

[@rickj6348]

True enough however the 777x hasn't been certified yet, so the GE 9x isn't being used commercially, and the Ultra Fan is still in pre-production. But you are correct, they will be the largest.🙂

[@Tewhill357]

Every time I hear 'Dark Star', I hear Rick Moranis saying, "Lonestar!".

[@EAWanderer]

Is this what Tom Cruise was flying in the recent Top Gun film?

[@pigeonpoo1823]

During the end credits, a certain Lockheed gets a special mention for the Dark Star.........

[@EAWanderer]

@@pigeonpoo1823 Is that so... 😏 I see...

[@laulaja-7186]

3:15 "Declassified and then quietly reclassified" That's a neat trick. Like collecting the proverbial down feathers and putting them back in the pillow case... Does the existence of this video then mean Simon is now in need of a lawyer same as Julian Assange?

[@DFSJR1203]

I would have designed the engine very simply, 2 afterburning engines, 2 scramjet engines. Yes a bit more weight, but the speed would still be there in the end. Easier than building a new engine to try to do both jobs and also way cheaper. Who am I kidding the military is working with Lockheed so money is no problem, until it does not work..

[@JohnnyWednesday]

The jet engine is dead weight in scram mode - so the more parts you can share between the two engines? the less dead weight you carry.