Editing Ramjet (section)

==History==

===France===
[[File:Leduc 010 Ramjet Prototype (11729010226).jpg|thumb|left|Leduc 010]]
====Cyrano de Bergerac====
''L'Autre Monde: ou les États et Empires de la Lune ([[Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon]])'' (1657) was the first of three satirical novels written by [[Cyrano de Bergerac]] that are considered among the first [[science fiction]] stories. [[Arthur C Clarke]] credited this book with conceiving the ramjet,<ref>{{cite web |title=Savien Cyrano de Bergerac |website=Books and Writers (kirjasto.sci.fi) |first=Petri |last=Liukkonen |publisher=[[Kuusankoski]] Public Library |location=Finland |url=http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/bergerac.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214031903/http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/bergerac.htm |archive-date=14 February 2015}}</ref> and as the first fictional example of rocket-powered space flight.

====René Lorin====
The ramjet was designed in 1913 by French inventor [[René Lorin]], who was granted a patent (FR290356) for his device. He could not test his invention due to the unavailability of adequate equipment since there was no way at the time for an aircraft to go fast enough for a ramjet to function properly.<ref>{{cite book |last=Zucker |first=Robert D. |author2=Oscar Biblarz |title=Fundamentals of gas dynamics |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |year=2002 |isbn=0-471-05967-6}}</ref> His patent showed a piston internal combustion engine with added 'trumpets' as exhaust nozzles, expressing the idea that the exhaust from internal combustion engines could be directed into nozzles to create jet propulsion.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1941/1941%20-%202218.html 1941 ''Flight'' article] explaining ramjets and mentioning Lorin's work</ref><ref>[http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/usn.htm "Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary," National Park Service web site]</ref><ref name=lorin>{{cite web |title=Lorin Ramjet |website=enginehistory.org |url=https://www.enginehistory.org/Rockets/LorinRamjet/LorinRamjet.shtml}}</ref>

====René Leduc====
The works of [[René Leduc]] were notable. Leduc's Model, the [[Leduc 0.10]] was one of the first ramjet-powered aircraft to fly, in 1949.

====Nord Aviation====

The [[Nord 1500 Griffon]] reached {{convert|2.19|Mach|m/s km/h|sigfig=3}} in 1958.

===Austria-Hungary===
====Albert Fonó====

In 1915, Hungarian inventor [[Albert Fonó]] devised a solution for increasing the range of [[artillery]], comprising a gun-launched projectile united with a ramjet propulsion unit, thus giving a long range from relatively low muzzle velocities, allowing heavy shells to be fired from relatively lightweight guns. Fonó submitted his invention to the [[Austro-Hungarian Army]], but the proposal was rejected.<ref name="Gyorgy">{{cite journal |last1=Gyorgy |first1=Nagy Istvan |title=Albert Fono: A Pioneer of Jet Propulsion |journal=[[International Astronautical Congress]] |publisher=[[International Astronautical Federation|IAF]]/[[International Academy of Astronautics|IAA]] |year=1977 |url=http://iaaweb.org/iaa/Studies/history.pdf}}</ref> After World War I, Fonó returned to the subject. In May 1928 he described an "air-jet engine" as suitable for high-altitude supersonic aircraft, in a German patent application. In an additional patent application, he adapted the engine for subsonic speed. The patent was granted in 1932 (German Patent No. 554,906, 1932-11-02).<ref>{{cite book |last=Dugger |first=Gordon L. |title=Ramjets |publisher=[[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]] |year=1969 |page=15}}</ref>

===Soviet Union===
[[File:MAKS2015part7-44.jpg|thumb|Kh-31 missile ramjet exhaust]]

In the Soviet Union, a theory of supersonic ramjet engines was presented in 1928 by [[Boris Stechkin]]. Yuri Pobedonostsev, chief of [[GIRD]]'s 3rd Brigade, carried out research. The first engine, the GIRD-04, was designed by I.A. Merkulov and tested in April 1933. To simulate supersonic flight, it was fed by air compressed to 200 [[bar (unit)|bar]], and was fueled with hydrogen. The GIRD-08 phosphorus-fueled ramjet was tested by firing it from an artillery cannon. These shells may have been the first jet-powered projectiles to break the [[speed of sound]].

In 1939, Merkulov did further ramjet tests using a [[two-stage rocket]], the R-3. He developed the first ramjet engine for use as an auxiliary motor of an aircraft, the DM-1. The world's first ramjet-powered airplane flight took place in December 1940, using two DM-2 engines on a modified [[Polikarpov I-15]]. Merkulov designed a ramjet fighter "Samolet D" in 1941, which was never completed. Two of his DM-4 engines were installed on the [[Yak-7]] PVRD fighter during World War II. In 1940, the Kostikov-302 experimental plane was designed, powered by a liquid fuel rocket for take-off and ramjet engines for flight. That project was cancelled in 1944.

In 1947, [[Mstislav Keldysh]] proposed a [[Keldysh bomber|long-range antipodal bomber]], similar to the [[Silbervogel|Sänger-Bredt bomber]], but powered by ramjet instead of rocket. In 1954, NPO Lavochkin and the Keldysh Institute began development of a Mach 3 ramjet-powered cruise missile, ''[[Burya]]''. This project competed with the [[R-7 Semyorka|R-7 ICBM]] developed by [[Sergei Korolev]], but was cancelled in 1957.

===Japan===
Several ramjets were designed, built, and ground-tested at the Kawasaki Aircraft Company's facility in Gifu during the Second World War. Company officials claimed, in December 1945, that these domestic initiatives were uninfluenced by parallel German developments. One post-war U.S. intelligence assessment described the Kawasaki ramjet's centrifugal fuel disperser as the company's "most outstanding accomplishment ... eliminat[ing] a large amount of the fuel injection system normally employed."<ref>Capt. J. H. Gilmore, ''Research at Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Gifu, Japan, including Ram-Jet Type Engines'', Allied Technical Intelligence Group, Report No.258, 10 December 1945, Reel No. A7341, U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency.</ref> Because of excessive vibration, the engine was only intended for use in rocket, or catapult-launched pilotless aircraft. Preparations for flight testing ended with the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

===Germany===
In 1936, [[Hellmuth Walter]] constructed a test engine powered by [[natural gas]]. Theoretical work was carried out at [[BMW]], [[Junkers]], and [[Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luftfahrt|DFL]]. In 1941, [[Eugen Sänger]] of DFL proposed a ramjet engine with a high combustion chamber temperature. He constructed large ramjet pipes with {{convert|500|mm|in}} and {{convert|1000|mm|in}} diameter and carried out combustion tests on lorries and on a special test rig on a [[Dornier Do 17]]Z at flight speeds of up to {{convert|200|m/s|km/h}}. Later, as petrol became scarce in Germany, tests were carried out with blocks of pressed coal dust as a fuel (see e.g. [[Lippisch P.13a]]), which were not successful due to slow combustion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hirschel |first=Ernst-Heinrich |author2=Horst Prem |author3=Gero Madelung |title=Aeronautical Research in Germany |publisher=Springer |year=2004 |pages=242–243 |isbn=3-540-40645-X}}</ref>

===United States===
[[File:Aqm-60a.jpg|thumb|An [[AQM-60 Kingfisher]], the first production ramjet to enter service with the US military]]

Stovepipe (flying/flaming/supersonic) was a popular name for the ramjet during the 1950s in [[trade magazine]]s such as ''[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Aviation Week |title=Aviation Week 1950-02-06 |page=22 |date=1950-02-06 |language=english |url=http://archive.org/details/Aviation_Week_1950-02-06}}</ref> and other publications such as ''The Cornell Engineer.''<ref>{{cite journal |title=Propulsive Efficiency from an Energy Utilization Standpoint |journal=The Cornell Engineer |volume=16 |issue=6 |date=March 1951 |publisher=Cornell University |page=163 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_cornell-engineer_1951-03_16_6}}</ref> The simplicity implied by the name came from a comparison with the [[turbojet]] engine which employs relatively complex and expensive spinning turbomachinery.

The US Navy developed a series of air-to-air missiles under the name of "[[Gorgon (U.S. missile)|Gorgon]]" using different propulsion mechanisms, including ramjet propulsion on the Gorgon IV. The ramjet Gorgon IVs, made by [[Glenn L. Martin|Glenn Martin]], were tested in 1948 and 1949 at [[Naval Air Station Point Mugu]]. The ramjet was designed at the University of Southern California and manufactured by the [[Marquardt Corporation|Marquardt Aircraft Company]]. The engine was {{convert|7|ft|order=flip}} long and {{convert|20|in|order=flip}} in diameter and was positioned below the missile.

In the early 1950s the US developed a Mach 4+ ramjet under the [[Lockheed X-7]] program. This was developed into the [[Lockheed AQM-60 Kingfisher]]. Further development resulted in the [[Lockheed D-21]] spy drone.

In the late 1950s the US Navy introduced a system called the [[RIM-8 Talos]], which was a long range surface-to-air missile fired from ships. It successfully shot down enemy fighters during the [[Vietnam War]], and was the first ship-launched missile to destroy an enemy aircraft in combat. On 23 May 1968, a Talos fired from [[USS Long Beach (CGN-9)|USS ''Long Beach'']] shot down a Vietnamese [[Mikoyan|MiG]] at a range of about {{convert|65|mile|km|order=flip}}. It was also used as a surface-to-surface weapon and was modified to destroy land-based radars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RIM-8 Talos |url=https://weaponsystems.net/system/1395-RIM-8+Talos |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Weaponsystems.net |language=en}}</ref>

Using technology proven by the AQM-60, In the late 1950s and early 1960s the US produced a widespread defense system called the [[CIM-10 Bomarc]], which was equipped with hundreds of nuclear armed ramjet missiles with a range of several hundred miles. It was powered by the same engines as the AQM-60, but with improved materials to endure longer flight times. The system was withdrawn in the 1970s as the threat from bombers subsided.

====THOR-ER====
In April 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Norwegian Ministry of Defense jointly announced their partnership to develop advanced technologies applicable to long range high-speed and hypersonic weapons. The ''Tactical High-speed Offensive Ramjet for Extended Range (THOR-ER)'' program completed a solid fuel ramjet (SFRJ) vehicle test in August 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tactical High-speed Offensive Ramjet for Extended Range (THOR-ER) Team Completes Ramjet Vehicle Test |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3180755/tactical-high-speed-offensive-ramjet-for-extended-range-thor-er-team-completes/}}</ref>

====Dual-mode ramjet====
In 2023, [[General Electric]] demonstrated a ramjet with rotating detonation combustion. It is a turbine-based combined-cycle engine that incorporates a<ref>{{cite web |last=Wang |first=Brian |date=2023-12-14 |title=Breakthrough Hypersonic Dual-Mode Ramjet with Rotating Detonation Combustion {{!}} NextBigFuture.com |language=en-US |url=https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2023/12/breakthrough-hypersonic-dual-mode-ramjet-with-rotating-detonation-combustion.html |access-date=2023-12-16}}</ref>
* gas turbine;
* rotating detonation engine;
* ramjet;
* scramjet.

===United Kingdom===
[[File:Bloohound BL 64.jpg|thumb|Upper engine is a ramjet on the Bloodhound missile]]

In the late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, the UK developed several ramjet missiles.

The [[Blue Envoy]] project was supposed to equip the country with a long range ramjet powered air defense against bombers, but the system was cancelled. It was replaced by a shorter range ramjet missile system called the [[Bloodhound (missile)|Bloodhound]]. The system was designed as a second line of defense in case attackers were able to bypass the fleet of defending [[English Electric Lightning]] fighters.

In the 1960s the Royal Navy developed and deployed a ramjet powered surface to air missile for ships called the [[Sea Dart]]. It had a range of {{convert|40|-|80|mi|km|order=flip|round=5}} and a speed of Mach 3. It was used successfully in combat against multiple types of aircraft during the [[Falklands War]].

====Fritz Zwicky====
Eminent Swiss astrophysicist [[Fritz Zwicky]] was research director at [[Aerojet]] and holds many patents in jet propulsion. Patents {{Patent|US|5121670}} and {{Patent|US|4722261}} are for [[ram accelerator]]s. The U.S. Navy would not allow Zwicky to publicly discuss his invention, {{Patent|US|2461797}} is for the Underwater Jet, a ramjet that performs in a fluid medium. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine reported on Zwicky's work.<ref name="Missed Swiss">{{cite web |title=Missed Swiss |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=July 11, 1955 |publisher=Time Inc. |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,807355,00.html |access-date=August 27, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Underwater Jet">{{cite web |title=Underwater Jet |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=14 March 1949 |publisher=Time Inc. |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,794705,00.html |access-date=August 27, 2017}}</ref>