Chimera completes ground testing – heads to hypersonic facility for next tests

June 7, 2022

Check out this footage from a recent Chimera test:

What you’re looking at is Chimera, our proprietary Mach 5 engine firing its afterburner at our test facility in Atlanta. This test marked the final phase in our “sea-level static” testing campaign proving that we can run Chimera at full throttle on the ground. 

But our Quarterhorse aircraft will be flying above 80,000 ft and will encounter very hot temperatures. So now we’re on to our next round of testing at Notre Dame’s Turbomachinery Laboratory.

At this facility we can simulate flight-like pressures and temperatures by directly connecting to their supply of heated air.

Chimera is a turbine-based combined cycle engine – which basically means it’s a hybrid of a turbojet and a ramjet. The main goal here is to demonstrate a successful transition between the two modes of operation.

The lessons we learn from this phase of the development program will inform upgrades for the next iteration of Chimera.

About Hermeus

Hermeus is a startup developing hypersonic aircraft to radically accelerate air travel. At Mach 5, more than twice the speed of the supersonic Concorde, passengers will be able to cross the Atlantic in 90 minutes. On the path to hypersonic passenger aircraft, Hermeus is partnering with government agencies including the US Air Force and NASA to develop a series of autonomous aircraft that derisk the technology and solve urgent national security challenges. These products provide the data and confidence necessary to certify, produce, operate, and maintain safe and comfortable commercial aircraft. Hypersonic aircraft have the potential to create trillions of dollars of new global economic growth per year, unlocking significant resources that can be utilized to solve the world’s greatest problems.