A drone that can outrun the fastest airplane in history: the US will test unique UAVs (photos, video)
Aviation startup Hermeus has completed testing the first in a series of four Quarterhorse jet UAVs used as unmanned flying laboratories to test technologies as part of the Hermeus Quarterhorse hypersonic aircraft project.
It is expected that the Quarterhorse series will include four drones in total, each of which should be more complex than its predecessor. The first of them, under the Quarterhorse Mk 0 index, passed the entire series of tests, which, however, took place only on the ground.
This is stated in the publication on The Drive portal.
It is noted that the production of the Quarterhorse Mk 0 took only 6 months, and the ground testing phase was completed in just 37 days. It is also known that this aircraft was used to demonstrate remote control, in particular when taxiing on the runway, to demonstrate the mode of operation in case of loss of external control and to test the “human factor” in the control of this unmanned aerial vehicle.
Remote takeoff and landing will be practiced on the next drone, Quarterhorse Mk 1, which is already under construction and is expected to make its first flight by the end of 2024. But it seems that this aircraft will not be used to practice flying at high speeds.
Instead, the Quarterhorse Mk 2 will be used to practice flying at speeds up to Mach 3, while the Quarterhorse Mk 4 should show a flight speed of more than Mach 3, and even, as noted, break the speed record set by the legendary SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft of the Cold War, which could reach speeds of up to 3700 km/h.
It can also be added here that this Quarterhorse Mk 4 research drone, if the tests are successful, should overtake the Russian MiG-31 at the same time with a maximum speed of up to 3000 km/h.
Although, of course, these Quarterhorse Mk 4 series jet drones are being built primarily to develop technologies that will be used in the project of an aircraft with a speed of up to Mach 5, which was allegedly ordered by the US Air Force in the fall of 2021.
