In a major leap forward in the field of hypersonic flight, China has announced that an engine developed by it has shown to reach an operational capability of Mach 16 in tests.
The oblique detonation engine (ODE) which runs on common kerosene for aviation has achieved the performance in a series of tests performed at the JF-12 shock tunnel in Beijing.
The JF-12 shock tunnel can duplicate true hypersonic flight conditions, and is one of the largest and most advanced of its kind in the world. It comes under the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The scientists from CAS stated that they were able to achieve prolonged oblique detonation waves using the RP-3 jet fuel.
The tests resulted in combustion rates 1,000 times faster than common scramjet engines, as per a report by the South China Morning Post. The operational capability, as reported by them, is between Mach 6 and Mach 16.
Mach 16 speed is roughly equivalent to 12,276 miles per hour (19,756 km per hour).
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