Prototype hypersonic aircraft presented

American startup Hermeus on March 28 unveiled Quarterhorse Mk1, a new high-speed unmanned jet aircraft prototype, at its factory in Atlanta.

According to Hermeus, the Quarterhorse Mk1 is a step toward the company's long-term goal: Building the first reusable hypersonic aircraft (five times faster than the speed of sound or more).

Hermeus's Quarterhorse Mk1 aircraft. (Photo: X/Hermuscorp).

The Quarterhorse Mk1 will be the first aircraft produced by Hermeus to take to the skies. Test flights to test high-speed takeoff and landing capabilities are scheduled to take place at Edwards Air Force Base later this year. The company is working with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to demonstrate high-speed mobility through this aircraft prototype.

The Mk1 is the second version of the Quarterhorse aircraft - the high-speed test platform that Hermeus is developing with the goal of realizing near-hypersonic and reusable flight by 2026. The company has advanced conducted ground trials with the previous version, the Quarterhorse Mk0, last year.

According to AJ Piplica, founder and CEO of Hermeus, they designed and built the Mk1 in 204 days. Piplica also said that the next version, Quarterhorse Mk2, will also be launched. According to him, it will have an even faster engine and reach speeds of Mach 2.5 or more (2.5 times the speed of sound). The Mk2 is expected to be equipped with a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine and fly at supersonic speeds by 2025.

Hermeus is also developing two large-scale hypersonic aircraft, the Darkhorse and the Halcyon . Darkhorse is a multi-mission drone serving defense needs. Meanwhile, Halcyon is a passenger plane, expected to be able to complete the New York - London route in just 90 minutes.

Piplica also said that the successor to its commercially developed engine, Chimera, will be released sooner than expected. According to Hermeus, the Chimera is powering the first Quarterhorse aircraft while its larger successor, the Chimera II, will power the Darkhorse.