# Aurora spyplane: Does it exist? Did it ever?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-spyplane-does-it-exist-did-it-ever/493793>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 21, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-spyplane-does-it-exist-did-it-ever/493793 "2009-04-21T00:30:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-spyplane-does-it-exist-did-it-ever/493793/62 "2009-10-15T23:29:36Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> And here I was hoping for pulse detonation engines.

Pulse jet engines seem to be a niche motor without a niche. They were working on [this one](http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12876) locally. It was hangered for a short time at my local airport for ground tests(?) and then test flown at the Mojave Air & Space Port.

Like all mechanical engines there is a range of speed that it fits into and it doesn’t appear to have a home at this time. I believe a PDE is limited to Mach 5. The [Blackswift](pulse detonation engine,longeasy) concept aircraft just uses an integral turbine/ramjet engine (look down the page). It is interesting to note that the concept of a rocket launched version was proposed because this is what I came up with as a wag. It makes sense to use conventional boosters to get something in range and then let a remote vehicle poke around from there.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aurora-spyplane-does-it-exist-did-it-ever/493793/63 "2009-10-16T02:00:42Z")

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For SR-71 fans: [http://www.joshbach.com/new\_oscart/catalog/displayTie.php?products\_id=404&category=Tie&top\_category=1](http://www.joshbach.com/new_oscart/catalog/displayTie.php?products_id=404&category=Tie&top_category=1)

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