US Air Force's unmanned experimental hypersonic jet breaks up in test flight
Faulty control fin caused failure of experimental US aircraft designed to fly at six times the speed of sound
An unmanned experimental aircraft designed to fly at six times the speed of sound broke apart over the Pacific Ocean seconds into a military test flight due to a faulty control fin, the US Air Force said.
The problem with the fin on the aircraft known as the Waverider or X-51A was identified in a test flight on Tuesday, 16 seconds after a rocket booster on the remotely monitored craft was ignited to propel it forward, the US Air Force said on Wednesday.
Fifteen seconds later, when the X-51A separated from the rocket booster, it lost control due to a "faulty control fin". The 31 seconds of flight fell far short of the military's goal for the X-51A to fly for five minutes.
The aircraft broke apart immediately and fell into the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu northwest of Los Angeles, said Daryl Mayer, a spokesman for the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
Even if the test had been a success, the aircraft would have crashed at the end of the flight in any case and was not considered retrievable.
The Waverider was designed to reach speeds of Mach 6 or above, six times the speed of sound and fast enough to zoom from New York to London in less than an hour.