X-51 Waverider Hypersonic Drone

The Boeing X-51A Waverider was an unmanned experimental vehicle used to investigate scramjet-powered hypersonic flight. Released from a carrier aircraft and accelerated before scramjet operation, it was a technology demonstrator rather than an operational combat drone. Its test program explored propulsion at speeds beyond the practical range of conventional turbine-powered aircraft.

The demonstrator was carried beneath a B-52 and used a rocket booster to reach conditions suitable for its air-breathing engine. A scramjet keeps airflow supersonic through combustion, creating major challenges in fuel mixing, ignition, and heating. The program’s final flight in 2013 achieved a sustained powered demonstration after earlier tests had mixed results. The small expendable research vehicle carried instruments rather than a pilot, and its achievements informed later hypersonic research without making it a fielded weapon.

Finish and color

Supplied unpainted and printed in the selected color. Choose from the available product color options.

Tabletop use

Suitable for period-appropriate custom scenarios in Global War 2025, and compatible Axis & Allies games. Use suitable scenario or house rules for unit statistics and any technology upgrades. This piece does not supply additional game rules.

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