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Firehawk Aerospace test-fires a GMLRS-equivalent hybrid rocket engine from a purpose-built, mobile platform. (Firehawk Aerospace)<\/p>\n
Firehawk Aerospace recently conducted its first flight test of a 3D-printed Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) analogue hybrid rocket engine system, the company said in a 26 August statement. The test demonstrated Firehawk Aerospace’s ability to additively manufacture a hybrid rocket engine system as part of an ongoing Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the Army Applications Laboratory (AAL), the statement noted.<\/p>\n
This was the first in a series of demonstrations under the AAL contract. \u201cFirehawk will next flight test its Javelin-class and Stinger-class analogues, which are designed as drop-in solid rocket motor replacements for existing DoD [Department of Defense] weapon systems,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
Hybrid fuel<\/p>\n
\n \u201cHybrid rocket fuel is essentially our thermoplastic,\u201d Will Edwards, CEO of Firehawk Aerospace, told
\n Janes
\n on 2 September. What makes it hybrid is the solid case for fuel and liquid nitrous oxide as the oxidiser, so that it is half-solid and half-liquid, he explained.\n <\/p>\n
\u201cThe neat thing about the hybrids is [their] ability to throttle,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cI could build a 100,000 lb thrust hybrid rocket engine, and it can perform like a 20,000 lb thrust engine, just depending on the flow of oxidiser,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Firehawk Aerospace’s solid propellant is a similar thermoplastic, \u201cbut it has other metallic additives as well as ammonium perchlorate mixed into it\u201d, Edwards noted. This is 3D printed with the energetic in it, while the hybrid fuel is not, he said. There are different processes for the creation of the feedstock for the two fuel types, \u201cbut at the end of the day, it all gets 3D printed into\u201d the desired shape, Edwards said.<\/p>\n
Demonstration<\/p>\n
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