Patent ID: 7828243

Claim:
A hypersonic aircraft comprising: two turbojet engines mounted on wings of the aircraft, wherein each turbojet engine has an inlet; and two SCRAMjet engines mounted on the wings of the aircraft laterally adjacent to, and at different lateral positions from, the two turbojet engines, wherein the SCRAMjet engines are only laterally positioned entirely outboard from the adjacent turbojet engines, and the aircraft does not include a SCRAMjet engine located vertically above, below or laterally inboard the turbojet engines, wherein each of the turbojet engines comprises an inlet cover positionable laterally adjacent to the inlet of an adjacent one of the SCRAMjets and the turbojet inlet covers provide compression ramps for the SCRAMjets, wherein each wing comprises a raked leading edge having a greater rake angle for a portion of the wing adjacent to the turbojet engine than a rake angle of a portion of the wing adjacent to the SCRAMjet engine, and wherein each of the compression ramps forms a portion of the leading edge of the wing when the compression ramp covers the inlet of the turbojet engine.