Lockheed X-24C: The Hypersonic Scramjet Plane That Never Was

Simple Flying

By Joe Kunzler

Published Nov 30, 2023

The X-24C had a lot of promise but would ultimately be canceled by budget cuts.

Photo: NASA

The Lockheed X-24C was a hypersonic research aircraft that aimed to combine rocket and scramjet propulsion but was ultimately canceled due to budget priorities.
The X-24C was inspired by the X-15 rocket plane and the X-24B lifting body rocket plane, both of which also influenced the design of the Space Shuttle.
The X-24C was intended to reach sustained speeds of Mach 6 and potentially burst to Mach 8 using more efficient scramjets, but its development was halted in the 1970s. However, in recent years, there has been renewed interest in hypersonic weapons and scramjet testing in the United States.