Following a design review earlier in 1996, the Mark 15 waverider has been modified significantly. Development of the Mark 15 waverider concept started in earnest, early in 1995, following an initial design a year before in early 1994. The original Mark 15, designed by Richard Osborne, was for an interference wing waverider, powered by a duct augmented single hybrid motor. The design anticipated a single man vehicle, with the pilot lying prone. At this stage, the vehicle was designated the Mark 9C, due to its design heritage, which owed much to the Mark 9B waverider.
In 1995, the Mark 15 underwent a re-design to a viscous drag optimised design (as opposed to caret wing design). The change in shape was significant, resulting in the vehicle being re-designated the Mark 15 waverider, due to its new design form. Numerous problems were encountered with the sheer size of the vehicle, which made it impractical on the basis of cost.
Early in 1996, another re-design followed, with Rick Newlands becoming involved in the aerodynamics of the vehicle. The current Mark 15 waverider is now a much more practical smaller design.
The Mark 15 is spatulate in planform, with much greater volume than the Mark 11. An interference wing design is employed. Two canted fins are mounted at the rear, with 2 small canards towards the front of the vehicle. The vehicle length is 7.5 metres, and the width is 3.5 metres.
The Mark 15 waverider is currently planned to use 2 ASPIRE II hybrid rocket motors, burning Liquid Oxygen and Polyethylene. The 2 motors have their LOX tanks and pressurisation tanks fitted alongside the combustion chambers, rather than inline.
An underbody duct, fitting within the waveriding shockcone, is used for thrust augmentation.
The crew cabin is designed for 2 people. The two crew sit side by side in reclining seats. Life support systems are located to the rear of the crew in a separate compartment.
In order to reduce mass, and also due to limited space, no undercarriage is fitted. Instead of an undercarriage, a large, steerable, lifting parafoil is deployed from a compartment on the upper surface of the waverider at low altitude.
Phase A
A sub scale remotely piloted flight test vehicle is currently undergoing construction, with view to first flight tests in the Summer of 1996. This will validate the computer models and allow comprehensive testing of the low speed (subsonic) flight regime with both powered and unpowered flight tests.
The vehicle is fully instrumented, will transmit data telemetry in real time (including onboard video footage), and will be recovered via a parachute.
Phase B
The next stage will be to fit a number of the small ASPIRE hybrid test motors inside a small remotely piloted flight test vehicle, to expand the flight envelope to high speed flight tests. Designs are currently being undertaken into the form of the LOX tankage and materials to be used.
Phase C
Further development will be dependent on more substantial financial resources becoming available, and are thus not detailed here.
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