Dawn’s Mk-II Aurora went supersonic during its latest flight test, and is now the fastest aircraft ever to climb from ground level to 20 km (65,617 ft). The flight, which took place on November 12, 2024, saw Aurora surpassing the speed of sound for the first time, reaching Mach 1.1, and then climbing to a maximum altitude of 82,500 feet.
Aurora took off from New Zealand’s Glentanner Aerodrome near the base of Aoraki Mt Cook, and managed exceed its test target speeds as well as altitude of Mach 1.05 and 75,000 feet. It climbed from ground level to 20 km in a mere 118.6 seconds, beating the previous record, held by a highly modified F-15 ‘Streak Eagle’ in the 1970s, by 4.2 seconds.
- Due to platform compatibility issue, the DJI Fly app has been removed from Google Play. DJI Neo must be activated in the DJI Fly App, to ensure a...
- Lightweight and Regulation Friendly - At just 135g, this drone with camera for adults 4K may be even lighter than your phone and does not require FAA...
- Palm Takeoff & Landing, Go Controller-Free [1] - Neo takes off from your hand with just a push of a button. The safe and easy operation of this drone...
This achievement highlights the immense potential of rocket-powered aircraft to achieve performance never seen before. With flight test 57, we retired the final major technical risk in the Aurora program: vehicle dynamics through the transonic regime. We have now confirmed the Aurora as the highest climb rate vehicle ever built,” said Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace.
[Source]
