A rocket-powered New Zealand-built aircraft has hit supersonic speed for the first time, making a top speed of 1358.28km/h in its first flight.
Multinational company Dawn Aerospace achieved the milestone flying out of Glentanner Aerodome, near the base of Aoraki/Mount Cook.
The Mk-II Aurora is one of the fastest privately-developed aircraft on the planet, according to Dawn Aerospace.
On November 12, the company, operating as Dawn Hypersonics, flew the Aurora faster than the speed of sound for the first time. It reached a speed of Mach 1.1 (or 1358.28 km/h) and climbed to an altitude of 25.146km (82,500ft) — the first time a civil aircraft has flown supersonic since Concorde.
Dawn Aerospace said the milestone brings to reality rocket-powered aircraft as a new class of ultra-high-performance aircraft, and marks a “significant step” towards operation hypersonic travel and “daily space access”.
The flight exceeded test target speeds and altitude of Mach 1.05 (1296.54 km/h) and 23.0124km (75,000ft).
“The Aurora also set a global record: it became the fastest aircraft ever to climb from ground level to 20km (66,000ft), completing the ascent in just 113 seconds. This beats the previous record, held by a highly modified F-15 “Streak Eagle”, set in the 1970s, by 10 seconds,” said Dawn Aerospace.
Chief executive officer Stefan Powell said with flight test 57, the company “retired the final major technical risk in the Aurora programme; vehicle dynamics through the transonic regime, and confirmed the Aurora as the highest climb rate vehicle ever built”.
“This milestone sets the stage for Aurora to become the world’s highest and fastest-flying aircraft, and paves the way for the first operational hypersonic aircraft, redefining what’s possible in aviation.”
Dawn Aerospace said the Aurora is designed to fly to the edge of space, or 100km altitude, twice in a single day, and reach speeds of Mach 3.5 (or 4321.8 km/h) during ascent and re-entry.
These capabilities make it ideal for applications such as microgravity research, atmospheric science, Earth observation, and testing the limits of hypersonic flight, Dawn Aerospace said.
“The Mk-II Aurora’s supersonic achievement is a result of pure rocket propulsion, which features thrust-to-weight ratios 20 times higher than conventional jet engines.”
Powell said the company has been operating for more than seven years to deliver the supersonic flight.
“We are now achieving this and will start commercial payload in the coming months under the Dawn Hypersonics brand.”
Dawn Hypersonics will focus specifically on advancing hypersonic flight with a strong focus on international markets. Key research, development, and flight testing will continue in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“We are grateful to the New Zealand Government and people for their part in helping us to achieve this important milestone. With access to vast open skies and test ranges in the South Pacific, New Zealand is poised to become a global hub for advanced aerospace testing, including hypersonic research. Dawn Aerospace’s achievements position the country at the forefront of this exciting new frontier in aviation.
“We look forward to continuing to work with our international customers, Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre and the New Zealand Space Agency as we progress our capability and deliver on commercial operations.”
