The aerodynamic characteristics and engine performance of the vehicle in the nearspace have been the focus of the research on the hypersonic projects in various countries. To explore the boundary layer transition

the shock boundary layer interaction and the aerodynamic heating effect

America and Australia led a project called HIFiRE in 2006 and investigated a series of innovation for this kind of vehicles by using sounding rocket to verify key techniques. Height range 20-38km and speed range flight Mach number 4-8 were the major concerns. Flight test scheme was arranged with the method of single technology verification and system integration. With the combination of propulsion system

the gliding waverider carried out cruise flight

at last

overall performance of high lift-to-drag ratio vehicle with scramjet was tested at hypersonic speed. The results showed that: (1) the boundary layer transition height of the test vehicle was in the range of 35~25km; (2) the maximum lift-to-drag ratio of waverider-body vehicle at flight Mach number 7 was 5.6; (3) during the flight test of scramjet

the speed of the vehicle was accelerated from flight Mach number 5.5 to flight Mach number 8.5 at a constant dynamic pressure of 86.2kPa

and the engine realized mode transition from sub combustion to super combustion.