In 2017, German pilot Niels Herbrich achieved a remarkable feat by flying his homemade remote-controlled aircraft at an astonishing speed of 465 miles per hour, equivalent to Mach 0.62? Six consecutive years have passed without his velocity record being surpassed. The Mach Initiative aims to revolutionize aviation by developing a supersonic aircraft capable of reaching speeds surpassing 600 mph (approximately Mach 0.8) at sea level, significantly reducing travel times and transforming the way we move around the world. With a compact team of expert scholars at the University of Bath, rapid design iteration has been enabled through their concentrated expertise. Within eight months, the team successfully transitioned from conceptualization to fabrication of their Kingfisher aircraft. To ensure accurate reporting, the aircraft is required to depart, fly along a 35-meter high, 400-meter long timing course in opposite directions before landing, refueling, and repeating. To achieve thrust, air-breathing engines must be utilized.
Kingfisher is a 1.3-metre-long, blended delta wing aircraft powered by a. The Kingfisher will be propelled by a pneumatic catapult system, executing a precise series of high-G turns to reach a maximum speed of approximately 610 mph (Mach 0.8 at sea level), all while meeting stringent timing requirements monitored by advanced instrumentation. The Kingfisher’s unique flying approach involves maintaining its inlet downwards for optimal propulsion, defying conventional aerodynamics by initially flying upside down before executing a mid-air inversion to land on its belly and avoid the need for landing gear. The Kingfisher is equipped with a parachute flight termination system, alongside redundant avionics and flight control programs, which utilize a security hierarchy to ensure that it never departs from the test range. The team worked tirelessly throughout the design phase, drawing upon their extensive expertise in developing commercial drones, which entailed collaborating closely with pilots to ensure the aircraft was airworthy.
The semi-monocoque construction, selected for its exceptional radio transparency, was meticulously optimized using finite element analysis. The incorporation of internal ribs, bulkheads, and spars not only provided additional mounting points for off-the-shelf components but also facilitated easy access through entry hatches, enhancing overall maintainability. Meanwhile, four elevons manage the plane’s pitch and roll, carefully designed to maintain stability should one fail. The system employs a Pixhawk Dice autopilot, enabling autonomous GPS waypoint missions, complemented by an FPV camera and laser altimeter to maintain a consistent 35-meter ground clearance in the timing zone. Story and photographs .
