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Innovative Aerojet Propulsion System Powers High-Speed Anti-Radiation Demonstration (HSAD) Flight Vehicle

Written by thomas · Filed Under Aeronautics News 

August 20, 2008

thomas

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Aerojet, a
GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, announced today that its Integral Rocket Ramjet
(IRR) propulsion system which incorporates a nozzleless booster and
Variable-Flow Ducted Rocket (VFDR) ramjet technologies, powered a
successful air-launched flight vehicle demonstration at White Sands Missile
Range in New Mexico.

Aerojet’s propulsion system, developed for the High-Speed
Anti-Radiation Demonstration (HSAD) program, is designed to meet the
evolving requirements for a long-range, reactive missile propulsion system
with near-term transition to the war-fighter. The HSAD program is sponsored
by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Air Warfare and Naval Weapons
Applications (Code 352) with the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons
Division/China Lake (NAWCWD/CL) serving as the program lead and system
integrator.

For the flight test, the controlled test vehicle (CTV) was successfully
rail-launched from a QF-4 drone aircraft, accelerated to supersonic speed,
and transitioned to supersonic sustain-phase ramjet flight using Aerojet’s
VFDR ramjet propulsion system. The VFDR ramjet system features a responsive
energy-management capability that provides the CTV with active propulsion
throughout the entire sustain flight enabling flight at speeds much higher
than standard solid propellant rocket-powered systems.

The HSAD system passed a rigorous ground and environmental test program
prior to flight. Using flight-weight hardware, these tests demonstrated the
transition-readiness of the system. “What makes the HSAD program unique is
that this high-performance propulsion system was manufactured and
integrated into a war-fighter-class weight and size-compliant missile
airframe,” said Gariel D. Randolph, PE, HSAD program manager. “We are truly
excited about these results and for what they bring to future
capabilities.” The HSAD all-solid propellant IRR design provides improved
Munitions Safety and other benefits over standard solid propellant rockets.
The VFDR flight test continues Aerojet’s leading role in the development of
next-generation tactical propulsion for the U.S. military.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally
serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets.
GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense
products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities
related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real
estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be
obtained by visiting the companies’ Web sites at http://www.Aerojet.com and
http://www.GenCorp.com.

SOURCE Aerojet

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