New Delhi: UK-based Frazer-Nash is leading the development of the Invictus, an aircraft capable of flying at over five times the speed of sound by early 2031. The hypersonic test platform is can fly to the edge of space, and is a stepping stone towards a spaceplane. The reusable vehicle is being designed to take-off horizontally from a runway, just like an aeroplane, with the eventual goal of making Earth orbit more accessible. Frazer-Nash is leading an expert consortium of partners including AeroSystems, Cranfield University, and a number of small and medium enterprises.

The aircraft that fly at hypersonic speeds have to endure extremely high temperatures due to the friction from the air. For typical aircraft engines, the air is too hot to handle at hypersonic speeds. The specialised engines that can perform through the shock of heating have a limited window of performance and cannot stop on the ground. Frazer-Nash has also inducted a team of experts from Reaction Engines Ltd, who have been developing and demonstrating pre-cooler technology. This pre-cooler technology reduces the temperature of the air before it reaches the engine, allowing conventional aircraft engines to work at hypersonic speeds. REL has previously validated the precooler technology at hypersonic flight conditions by integrating the tech into existing jet engine architecture.

Managing Director at Frazer-Nash, Sarah Wilkes says, “Invictus is an exciting opportunity to provide advanced technology for space and advance capabilities in defence. With strong industry support and deep engineering and aerospace expertise – including Frazer-Nash colleagues with a decade of propulsion experience – we have all the right ingredients to make this ambitious vision a reality.” Invictus lays down the foundation for revolutionising transportation for spaceplanes that can reach orbit while taking off horizontally like aeroplanes, as against the vertical-lift launch vehicles. The Invictus project is being funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).