Hermeus' QuarterHorse: Revolutionizing Hypersonic Travel
At one point in time, hypersonic travel generated significant buzz and captivated public attention. The Concorde, renowned for its ability to transport passengers from New York to London in just 90 minutes, dominated discussions. However, the Concorde is no longer in operation today due to the excessive noise it produced and the exorbitant operating costs, which necessitated high fare prices and led to the airline's demise. Nonetheless, faster-than-sound travel has experienced a resurgence, with United Airlines sponsoring Boom, a supersonic jet company. Riding this wave, Atlanta-based startup Hermeus aims to make its mark by developing Quarterhorse, a unique hypersonic jet.
Hermeus intends to create Chimera, the world's first hybrid engine capable of seamlessly transitioning from a turbojet to a hypersonic jet mid-flight. While turbojets are limited to a maximum speed of Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound), ramjets can achieve Mach 6. However, a significant drawback of ramjet engines is their inability to operate below 300 miles per hour, rendering taxing and takeoff impossible. Consequently, turbojets remain a necessity for these aircraft. The innovative Chimera engine will function as a turboramjet, operating as a turbojet during takeoff and then transitioning to a ramjet once the aircraft reaches the required airspeed for optimal ramjet performance.
Quarterhorse is projected to achieve a speed of Mach 4, equivalent to 3069 miles per hour, surpassing the current fastest active aircraft, the Russian MiG-25 Foxbat, which flies at Mach 3.2 or 2,190 miles per hour. The impressive features of Hermeus' aircraft, coupled with the fact that Quarterhorse is designed to be remotely piloted, have attracted the attention of the American defense department.
In 2021, Hermeus secured funding from various interested parties, including NASA and the US Air Force. Among them was the Executive Airlift Directorate, responsible for managing the President's aircraft, including the Boeing 747 Air Force One. As one of the initial companies supported by the Defense Department's Strategic Financing (StratFI) program, which focuses on high-tech startups capable of developing technology for the Air Force and Space Force, Hermeus has gained recognition.
On November 13th, 2023, Hermeus announced the successful acquisition of a contract with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). This multi year contract, the monetary value of which remains undisclosed, will support the company's future research. The contract is part of the Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities Program (HyCAT), an initiative aimed at harnessing commercial technology to enhance the defense department's hypersonic flight capabilities. Presently, HyCAT supports at least 70 companies engaged in the development of hypersonic weapons and aircraft, with notable participants including HyperSonix, Rocket Lab, and Fenix. HyperSonix's DART aircraft is scheduled to take flight in the upcoming summer, while Rocket Lab's HASTE is targeting a 2025 flight date. In alignment with these companies, Hermeus plans to conduct its inaugural flight in 2024.