When is an empty tube not an empty tube? When it’s a ramjet that uses rotating detonation technology to propel aircraft at hypersonic speeds. A case in point is Venus Aerospace’s new Venus Detonation Ramjet 2000 lb Thrust Engine (VDR2).
One of the biggest hurdles that need to be cleared in making hypersonic flight practical is building engines that are capable of sustained thrust.
Currently, hypersonic systems are mainly based on glide bodies that are boosted to high speed and altitude by rockets and then accelerate to over Mach 5 by gliding back to lower altitudes. However, if you want to build airliners that can fly from San Francisco to Tokyo in one hour, you need something more like a jet engine.
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