Hypervelocity
Woodward has a long history in developing flight control actuators and systems for hypervelocity and other specialty air vehicles. Our technical competencies include both high power electric and hydraulic actuation, as well as electronics and software integration, for severe and extremely high performance applications.
Woodward flight control actuators guide the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s X-51A Waverider, a hypersonic flight test demonstrator, during its initial launch which broke aviation records. The Waverider flew for over 200 seconds and reached a speed of approximately Mach 5 – nearly 4,000 miles per hour.
Hypervelocity and specialty vehicles require highly reliable controls to meet demanding requirements, including:- High power and dynamic response
- Accurate positioning and control
- Exceptional temperature and vibration
- Exceptional reliability
Throughout its history, Woodward has been at the forefront of its industry in meeting demanding specialty requirements. Look to Woodward engineers for actuation and control solutions for hypervelocity air vehicles and related applications.