A search for blackswift at NASA.gov turns up no results.

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In summary, a search for "blackswift" at NASA.gov turns up no results and it seems that there is a lot of speculation and confusion surrounding the project. Some sources refer to it as HTV-3X, which is a joint project between the USAF and DARPA, while others mention NASA's possible involvement. The project aims to develop a hypersonic cruise vehicle capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 6 and potentially using pulse detonation engines. However, there is opposition to the project and its practicality is debated, as it would require advanced propulsion technology and may not offer significant advantages over cheaper, expendable missiles.
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LURCH
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A search for "blackswift" at NASA.gov turns up no results.

So, here is some truly putrid reporting about a truly wonderfull story:

http://www.comcast.net/data/fan/html/popup.html?v=779215474&pl=622214722.xml&plc=622214722&launchpoint=Cover&cid=fancover&attr=default_headline&config=/config/common/fan/default.xml [Broken]

The reporter obviously has no idea what he's talking about, and the expert annalyst appears to have his hands full just coping with the idiot reporter. The article starts out saying that the new engine has been test-flown, but all the searches I do show only a budget proposal. Many bloggers are talking about this project, but half of them seem to think it's a scramjet, and not pulse-detonation like the NASA annalyst says.

A search for "blackswift" at NASA.gov turns up no results. Does anybody have any insite into this program?
 
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Google will find you lots of links. No prototypes have been built, yet. The 2 prototypes were to be built at a cost of $800M (yeah, right!) but the project is facing opposition in Congress, so likely the project will continue as a black budget item. The military and and intelligence communities and their contractors seem to be able to take taxpayer money at will by over-classifying projects and rolling them into the black budget to avoid congressional oversight.

While this seems like a nice "gee whiz" project, I fail to see what value blackswift brings to the arsenal above and beyond the capability of cheaper, expendable missiles. Also, its Mach 6 speed would be limited by fuel payload and would not be sustainable for more than a few minutes at most. The talk of blackswift "cruising" at Mach 6 is hype, absent a breakthrough in propulsion and/or the development of some exotic fuel with a much higher energy:mass ratio than the stuff we currently feed our planes.
 
  • #3
From what I've read, "Project Blackswift" is synonymous with HTV-3X, the USAF/DARPA designation. There is a lot of speculative information about this project around, but here is a quote from the DARPA website's Project FALCON.

darpa.mil said:
The HTV-3X program will demonstrate key Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle technologies in a realistic flight environment by developing a re-usable hypersonic aircraft test bed capable of takeoff from runway under turbojet power, acceleration to Mach 6 speed under combined turbojet and scramjet propulsion, controlled deceleration, and runway landings.
http://www.darpa.mil/tto/programs/Falcon.htm

DARPA's website doesn't seem to make any referral to the use of pulse detonation engines, instead mentioning that it will use turbo and SCRAM jets. Additionally, I can't seem to find mention of NASA involvement in the HTV-3X project, only passing references to Blackswift being called HTV-3X by DARPA.

Here is an interesting article from NewLaunches.com:
NewLaunches.com said:
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne have successfully tested a sub-scale combustor for a dual-mode ramjet engine. This could power the Falcon HTV-3X (financed by DARPA) hypersonic cruiser to Mach 6 and beyond. With the Dual-mode, the engine can function both at subsonic speeds and then speed up to supersonic scramjet speeds (greater than Mach 5). This engine technology was developed for Lockheed Martin's Falcon Combined-Cycle Engine Technology (FaCET) program.
http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/falcon_htv3x_hypersonic_cruiser_successfully_tested.php

It's possible NASA and Lockheed Martin are developing engines that are to compete for the chance to power the HTV-3X project...
 
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1. What is blackswift and why is NASA searching for it?

Blackswift is a proposed hypersonic aircraft that was being developed by NASA to study high-speed flight and advanced propulsion systems. The project was discontinued in 2008 due to budget constraints.

2. Is there any information available on blackswift from NASA?

No, a search for blackswift on NASA's website does not yield any results. This is because the project was cancelled and no further updates or information have been released by NASA.

3. Why was the blackswift project cancelled?

The blackswift project was cancelled due to budget constraints. The development of the hypersonic aircraft was proving to be extremely expensive and the funding was not available to continue the project.

4. Are there any other organizations or agencies working on developing a blackswift-like aircraft?

There are currently no known organizations or agencies working on a project similar to blackswift. However, there are ongoing research and development efforts in the field of hypersonic flight and advanced propulsion systems.

5. Will NASA be reviving the blackswift project in the future?

As of now, there are no plans to revive the blackswift project at NASA. However, with advancements in technology and increased interest in hypersonic flight, it is possible that a similar project may be pursued in the future.

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