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. . . it's a long way from testing one component of an engine on the ground to getting a full engine demo going to then testing it in the air to then build the

. . . it's a long way from testing one component of an engine on the ground to getting a full engine demo going to then testing it in the air to then build the plane then integrating engine . . . True, but my understanding is that the heat exchanger is the critical piece of difficult technology/engineering. With that, they have the potential to revolutionise industries even if none of the rest comes to pass.

growlist 7y ago
Exactly, there is talk of it having significant impact even if it never flies a mile.
privateSFacct 7y ago
People gloss over things like building a turbine engine as easy - it is not - it's been done, yes, but for these guys to build, qualify, validate and get an engine flying on passenger planes is a HUGE undertaking even ASSUMING this critical piece of tech was perfect. To also then build the plane? I'm curious to see what their re-entry technology looks like - feels pretty critical path to me. What are these applications and industries that will be revolutionized? I'm serious - I've heard this will revolutionize hypersonic cars. OK. The plane concept itself required a closed loop normal rocket engine - so you've got to have that AND the Sabre AND are doing single stage to orbit. I shudder to think of the mass fractions - how does carrying all this extra around make sense just from the physics - do you save that much in terms of LOX?