Computerized analysis of supersonic combustion phenomena and ramjet cooling led to Garrett being awarded a 1965 contract by NASA for preliminary design of a Mach 3 to 8 research ramjet for flight-testing on the North American X-15. In that same year, a full-scale hydrogen fueled boiler-plate engine successfully demonstrated both subsonic and supersonic combustion.

In 1967, Garrett was awarded a follow-on contract to manufacture flightweight hypersonic research engines (HRE). This supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) was constructed during that program as a Mach 3 to 8 demonstrator. Utilizing hydrogen as both a fuel and a coolant was required because inlet temperatures exceeded 2,316 C (4,200 F) and exhaust temperatures exceeded 2,927 C (5,300 F).

After the 1968 retirement of the X-15 aircraft, the program was reoriented toward ground tests. Delivered in 1970, the engine ran in NASA Langley's Scramjet Test Facility at speeds up to Mach 7, 7,560 km/hr (4,725 mph), completing a major step toward hydrogen-fuel hypersonic propulsion systems.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date Circa 1970 Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet) Manufacturer Garrett Corporation
 Physical Description Type: Scramjet Performance: 4,000 to 2,000 sec internal specific impulse (min.); 3,200 to 8,640 km/hr (2,000 to 5,400 mph) Dimensions Length 229 cm (90 in.), Diameter 71 cm (28 in.) (dimensions are approximate)
 Materials Primary structure was fabricated from Hastelloy X sheet 0.015 in. thick and brazed with gold-palladium-nickel alloy; Steel, Stainless Steel, White metal alloy, Aluminum, Plastic
 Inventory Number A19760013000 Credit Line Transferred from the NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.