Mach 5 propulsion wind tunnel testing of High-Mach Integrated Control Experimental Aircraft (HIMICO)

To establish key technologies for Mach 5 hypersonic flight, the High-Mach Integrated Control Experimental Aircraft (HIMICO) has been developed as an integrated airframe–propulsion technology demonstrator. A propulsion wind tunnel experiment simulating Mach 5 flight conditions was conducted to verify the thermal integrity of the airframe, validate onboard systems, and evaluate the performance of the integrated hydrogen ramjet propulsion system under representative flight conditions. The test configuration was designed and assessed through wind tunnel startability studies and structural analyses. Measurement and fuel-supply systems were developed for the propulsion tests. Component-level experiments, including hypersonic intake tests and hydrogen ramjet combustion tests, were conducted to establish robust control strategies for the intake and fuel-supply system. Finally, an integrated propulsion wind tunnel test was performed using the control logic derived from the component experiments, demonstrating simultaneous operation of the intake, combustor, and elevon control loops. The target combustion temperature was not achieved, and long-duration stable operation and quantitative propulsion performance remain to be verified.