The FAA just gave the green light for supersonic tests on Hermeus latest drone: Quarterhorse Mk 2.1.
This unmanned drone, roughly F-16 sized and packing a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, is the biggest and heaviest in Hermeus lineup yet. It just got its Special Airworthiness Certificate (Experimental Category), clearing the path for high-speed flight tests out of Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Hermeus is all about rapid iteration... learn from one flight, build the next version smarter and faster. Mk 2.1 is already a huge step up from its predecessor, and they’re eyeing Mk 2.2 as potentially the world’s fastest unmanned aircraft. Longer term? They’re developing the Chimera combined-cycle engine (turbojet + ramjet) to push into hypersonic territory.
With over $500 million raised and infrastructure expanding, Quarterhorse is basically a flying lab for future military high-Mach platforms... and maybe someday hypersonic passenger travel.
