Comments on: Rocket plane breaks airspeed record

NASA successfully tests Mach 10 rocket-powered "scramjet" after a day's delay.
Photos: NASA's X-43A "scramjet"

Right Stuff
by gentlewhisper November 17, 2004 10:43 AM PST: Can I borrow a stick of Beemans?; Like this Reply to this comment

Right Stuff
by gentlewhisper November 17, 2004 10:43 AM PST: Can I borrow a stick of Beemans?; Like this Reply to this comment

Reporter needs basic retraining..

by Earl Benser November 17, 2004 11:41 AM PST

A scramjet is NOT a rocket. Any reasonably intelligent person
would know that. Maybe reporters are excluded from that
category.

all jets are rockets, not all rockets are jets
by neidr November 18, 2004 6:01 AM PST: A >rocket< is propelled by the rocket effect- the lack of restraint, the >nozzle<, at the rear of the combustion chamber allows an unbalanced force upon the front of that chamber. This forward-directed vector allows for motion if the motor is free to move. A >jet< is similarly propelled- the pressure is upon the fan blades that bring in air/fuel through the front of the engine. In a >scramjet< this pressure is upon the incomming, hypersonic, air/fuel mix. The lack of fan blades is due to the inability of the chamber pressure wave, to travel ultrahypersonically forward through this mixture. This incomming mix effectively becomes the >front< of the combustion chamber making this type of rocket engine a special-case type of flapper-valveless WW2 V-1>Buzz Bomb< ramjet- which was a true rocket only while it's venetian blind-like valve was closed, a jet while it was open- an aviation Schroedinger's cat!; Like this

Reporter needs basic retraining..

by Earl Benser November 17, 2004 11:41 AM PST

A scramjet is NOT a rocket. Any reasonably intelligent person
would know that. Maybe reporters are excluded from that
category.

all jets are rockets, not all rockets are jets
by neidr November 18, 2004 6:01 AM PST: A >rocket< is propelled by the rocket effect- the lack of restraint, the >nozzle<, at the rear of the combustion chamber allows an unbalanced force upon the front of that chamber. This forward-directed vector allows for motion if the motor is free to move. A >jet< is similarly propelled- the pressure is upon the fan blades that bring in air/fuel through the front of the engine. In a >scramjet< this pressure is upon the incomming, hypersonic, air/fuel mix. The lack of fan blades is due to the inability of the chamber pressure wave, to travel ultrahypersonically forward through this mixture. This incomming mix effectively becomes the >front< of the combustion chamber making this type of rocket engine a special-case type of flapper-valveless WW2 V-1>Buzz Bomb< ramjet- which was a true rocket only while it's venetian blind-like valve was closed, a jet while it was open- an aviation Schroedinger's cat!; Like this