Reaction Engines video

Alan Bond, founding Director of Reaction Engines, features in an exclusive video to share insight into his SABRE engine: the synergetic air-breathing rocket engine which will deliver the biggest breakthrough in propulsion since Sir Frank Whittle’s jet engine.

The technology could enable a hypersonic airliner to fly from London to Sydney in under five hours, slash the cost of space access and make possible technologies such as large-scale solar power stations in geo-stationary orbit.

The design of SABRE evolved from Liquid-Air Cycle Engines (LACE) which have a single rocket combustion chamber with associated pumps, pre-burner and nozzle which are utilised in both modes. LACE engines employ the cooling capacity of cryogenic liquid hydrogen fuel to liquefy incoming air prior to pumping. Unfortunately, liquefying air in this type of cycle necessitates very high fuel flow. SABRE avoids this by cooling down the air only to the vapour boundary and so avoiding liquefaction.

Alan Bond, the founder and Chief Engineer of Reaction Engines, began his career at Rolls-Royce, before moving to the British Aircraft Corporation, Stevenage. While at BAC, Alan continued to carry out research on advanced propulsion. Subsequently he moved to the UK Atomic Energy Authority working on nuclear fusion and worked as a consultant engineer to British Aerospace during the HOTOL space launcher project, he designed its RB545 air-breathing rocket engines.

Reaction Engines was founded in 1989 by  Alan and the principal two engineers: John Scott-Scott  and Richard Varvill from Rolls-Royce, also involved in the RB545 engine programme.

In his video, which includes detailed presentation slides, lecture, personal interview and specially commissioned computer simulatrions, Alan Bond offers members of the Institution a fascinating insight into the  engineering and R&D behind the SABRE engine, and how it could have wide ranging applications which will help to improve the world.

View the video.