Patent ID: 6119985
Filing Date: 2000-09-19
Classification: B64C,B64D,B64G,F05B,Y02T

Abstract:
A rocket propelled airplane, comprising:a low pressure propellant tank in the wine or fuselage of said airplane, said propellant tank adapted to contain propellant therein;a rocket engine including a reservoir of cold high pressure gas and a heat exchanger to warm the gas in order to pressurize the propellant tank, wherein said rocket engine is an airbreathing engine having one or more air inlets;a pump to raise the propellant in the propellant tank from a low pressure to a higher pressure adapted for the use in the rocket engine; anda turbine to apply energy from the warm high pressure gas to operate said pump, said turbine having an exhaust port which is vented to the propellant tank so that pressure in the propellant tank may be maintained as the propellant is withdrawn from the propellant tank.