X 51 A, X 51 Waverider Test Flight Taxi And Takeoff

B52 aircraft that deploys the X51 taxiing the runway prior to its takeoff and the takeoff of the aircraft. Courtesy: United States Air Force EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif (AFNS) An X51A Waverider flighttest vehicle successfully made the longest supersonic combustion ramjetpowered hypersonic flight May 26 off the southern California Pacific coast. The more than 200 second burn by the X51 s Pratt Whitney Rocketdynebuilt air breathing scramjet engine accelerated the vehicle to Mach 6.