China's new air-breathing engine could revolutionize aviation, missiles
What's the story
China is working on a revolutionary air-breathing engine for its next-generation fighter jets as well as hypersonic missiles. The "contra-rotary ramjet engine" is designed to operate continuously from a stationary start-up to speeds over Mach 6. The new engine could replace the combined turbine-ramjet systems currently used in high-speed flight. After over three decades of development, the prototype has been completed and experimentally verified, marking a major milestone toward engineering applications.
Future plans
Engine to break West's monopoly
The next steps for the contra-rotary ramjet engine involve adapting it to different aircraft platforms and conducting real-world flight tests. Researchers involved in the project are optimistic about its potential. "China's development of new-principle engines would be a strategic choice to break the Western monopoly and even surpass the West," Xu Jianzhong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), told China Science Daily.
Technical details
How is the new engine different from conventional ones?
The conventional approaches to hypersonic flight typically require two separate propulsion systems: a turbine engine for speeds below Mach 3, and a ramjet for higher speeds. The contra-rotary ramjet engine, however, could eliminate this need with its ability to operate continuously from a stationary start-up to over Mach 6. This makes it a potential game-changer in the field of high-speed aviation.