User:Servitewrestler12

X-51A Waverider The new aircraft of NASA is the record holder for the longest hypersonic flight. The aircraft is capable of going Mach-5 or 3,700 miles per hour. This new speed record is the result of the aircraft riding the shock wave it creates during flight instead of using wings to stay airborne, hence the name "Waverider". The test took place on May 26, 2010 at one o'clock in the afternoon when the mothership, the Stratofortress, hauled the "Waverider" out of the hangar and up to 50,000 ft. in the air. The aircraft dropped out of the Stratofortress, began to fire its jets, and fly at Mach 4.8 before riding the sonic wave it created. NASA planned for the "Waverider" to land in the ocean but NASA recovered the aircraft. NASA plans to have more tests throughou the year but is pleased with the results for now.

MSNBC.com, "Steamjet Sets Hypersonic Flight Record", Tariq Malik