Hermeus reveals details of new Quarterhorse Mk1 high-speed jet-powered drone
Hermeus, a developer of hypersonic systems, has unveiled its new high-speed unmanned aircraft with a Quarterhorse Mk1 jet engine. This is their second fully integrated machine in the last year.
Quarterhorse Mk 1 is an unmanned aerial vehicle with a single GE Aerospace J85 engine. The drone will be used for flight tests at subsonic speeds. Its main task is to demonstrate high-speed takeoff and landing, which is a key capability of future hypersonic aircraft.
Summer tests are planned to be conducted at Edwards Air Force Base in 2024. The drone will undergo various tests of its subsystems, ground station, operations, and human factors to prepare it for flight testing.
The Quarterhorse program has a unique approach whereby each aircraft built is more complex than the previous one and incorporates the knowledge and experience gained from previous builds. This not only minimizes programmatic risk across multiple vehicles, but also speeds up the delivery of products and services to Hermeus customers.
“The most important aspect of our approach to developing a hypersonic aircraft is the speed of iteration: designing, building, and launching an aircraft in less than a year, every year,” said Hermeus CEO and co-founder A.J. Piplica.
In addition to demonstrating its aircraft, Hermeus also revealed details about the next version of the Quarterhorse – Mk 2. The new model will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine and is expected to reach supersonic speeds.
The company has made a strategic decision to upgrade to a more powerful engine for its Quarterhorse Mk 2, which will help accelerate the development of the Darkhorse hypersonic multi-role defense and national security aircraft. This upgrade will also allow the company to create a specially designed high-speed drone that is a unique product on the market.
