Supersonic startup Hermeus readies for first flight
December 18, 2024
Aerospace and defence startup Hermeus has completed the ground testing of its upcoming Quarterhorse Mk1 aircraft, paving the way to progress with the airborne campaign of the remotely-piloted supersonically-capable craft.
Completed at Edwards Air Force Base in just 21 days, the “comprehensive ground test campaign” built on learnings from Hermeus’ first fully-integrated vehicle, its ‘iron bird’ Quarterhorse Mk 0. “Hermeus is redefining the pace at which aircraft can be developed tested, and fielded,” said co-founder and CEO AJ Piplica. “With Quarterhorse Mk 1, we’ve proven our ability to design and build a clean-sheet aircraft in just 204 days”.
This ground test campaign included an evaluation of all vehicle subsystems as well as the software and hardware in Hermus’ custom flight deck, from which the aircraft will be remotely piloted. “End-to-end testing between the flight deck validated redundant RF links and addressed potential electromagnetic interference problems,” explained Hermeus, which added that extensive human-machine interface testing was also crucial.
Ground testing culminated in Quarterhorse achieving 130kt taxi tests in full afterburner, “offering a valuable opportunity to validate aerodynamic model assumptions, assess the aircraft’s directional control, and evaluate the performance of control surfaces”.
Following pending flight approval from the US Air Force 412th Test Wing and the FAA, Quarterhorse 1’s “single mission” will be to takeoff and land; providing key learnings for the next iteration, Quarterhorse Mk 2, currently under construction. Featruing a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, Mk 2 is expected to reach supersonic speeds.
In its quest to provide hypersonic defence capabilities through “integrating hardware-rich, iterative development with modern computing and autonomy,” Hermeus is targeting the development of one new aircraft a year.
