Aerospace and defense technology company Hermeus has announced the official launch of its High Enthalpy Air-Breathing Test Facility (HEAT) following a series of successful tests of the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine. Developed to address the critical shortage ofhypersonic test infrastructure in the U.S., the HEAT facility promises to enhance the efficiency and affordability of supersonic and hypersonic propulsion testing, serving both military and commercial needs.
Addressing Hypersonic Test Infrastructure Challenges
“In just three months since breaking ground, HEAT has come online and is positioned to unlock low-cost, high-capability propulsion testing which will support the delivery of hypersonic aircraft before the end of the decade,” said Hermeus Co-Founder and CEO, AJ Piplica. “Current hypersonic test facilities are booked a year or more in advance and are prohibitively expensive. HEAT will alleviate capacity limitations, offer more affordable options, and establish itself as a critical national resource for hypersonic testing.”
Located at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, the HEAT facility incorporates and upgrades legacy test infrastructure inherited from the former Cecil Naval Air Station, including multiple test cells built in 1959 and a hush house from 1989. These facilities are being retrofitted to support modern propulsion systems.
Advancing Hypersonic Propulsion Technology
The HEAT facility’s first phase supports testing of the F100 engine, which will be integrated into Hermeus’ Quarterhorse Mk 2 aircraft. When paired with Hermeus’ proprietary precooler engine technology, Mk 2 is designed to achieve speeds greater than Mach 2.5, making it the world’s first high-Mach autonomous aircraft.
The F100 engine will also serve as the turbine core for Hermeus’ Chimera engine, a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion system designed to reach Mach 5. Chimera is planned to power Quarterhorse Mk 3, which aims to demonstrate turbine-to-ramjet mode transition in flight and break the airspeed record held by the SR-71 Blackbird.
The HEAT facility is being developed incrementally, with future phases introducing continuous high-Mach vitiated airflow to enable more flight-like hypersonic testing conditions on the ground.
Streamlined Development at HEAT
Hermeus completed the first phase of HEAT in just three months—substantially faster and more cost-effective than comparable projects.
“Building out the first phase of HEAT in just three months is an extraordinary achievement,” said Alex Miller, Manager of Propulsion Test Engineering at Hermeus. “We brought the facility online in one-eighth the time and at one-tenth the cost of similar engine test cell projects. The buildings we started with were essentially concrete and metal shells. Hermeus engineered and installed custom fuel supply systems, air start systems, data acquisition and control systems, the thrust stand, and all the mechanical and electrical interfaces for the F100 engine.”
Future phases of HEAT will introduce continuous high-Mach vitiated airflow, enabling more flight-like hypersonic testing conditions on the ground.
About Hermeus
Hermeus is an aerospace and defense technology company focused on radically accelerating air travel through the development of hypersonic aircraft. By integrating iterative hardware development with advanced computing and autonomy, Hermeus is advancing cutting-edge propulsion systems and flight vehicles, including the Quarterhorse program and Darkhorse, an uncrewed hypersonic aircraft designed for defense applications.
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