SA: Computer short-circuit caused supersonic model jet crash
ADELAIDE, Dec 12 AAP - A computer short-circuit caused the crash of a $150 millionsupersonic model jet at Woomera earlier this year, Japanese officials said today.
Japan's National Aerospace Laboratory said the computer glitch caused the failure ofits test flight of the model jet in July.
Japanese officials were testing the jet model in a bid to build a passenger jet thatcan travel at twice the speed of sound.
But the test flight ended seconds after the jet was launched at the Woomera rocketrange in South Australia on July 14 this year.
The 11-metre model jet crashed to the ground after appearing to lose control immediatelyupon launch.
Japanese scientist Kimio Sakata said today a design change had caused the model's computersystem to short-circuit.
Mr Sakata said after the short-circuit, the autopilot reset itself - causing the jetand rocket booster to separate during takeoff.
He said the computer system for the model jet was being redesigned with three moretest launches scheduled for Woomera in the next year.
Nobody was injured in the crash as both the rocket and the model plane were unmanned.
The model was to have ridden piggyback on the booster rocket to a height of 20km ata speed of 2,450kph.
But after climbing to just 100 metres, the short-circuit took effect.
The test was part of a Japanese government funded project aimed at building a planecapable of flying twice the distance of a Concorde with three times as many passengers.
AAP sl/apm/sb
KEYWORD: JET
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