To be presentedatthe 36thAIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEEJointPropulsionConferenceandExhibit16-19July2000,Huntsville,Alabama6JulO0 SAICwjdeTechnicalPaper AIAA 2000-3109Marquardt'sMach4.5SuperchargedEjectorRamjet(SERJ)High-PerformanceAircraftEngineProject:UnfulfilledAspirationsCa.1970William J.D. EscherandJordan E.RoddyScience ApplicationsInternationalCorporationAdvanced Technology Group, Huntsville,AlabamaEricH.HydeNASA MarshallSpace FlightCenterHuntsville, AlabamaABSTRACTThe SuperchargedEjector Ramjet (SERJ) enginedevelopmentsofthe 1960s, aspursued byThe Marquardt Corporation and itsassociatedindustry team members,aredescribed.Injust three years, engineering work onthis combined-cycle powerplanttype evolved, from itsinitialNASA-sponsoredreusablespace transportationsystemstudy status, intoaU.S. Air Force/Navy-supportedexploratorydevelopmentprogramas acandidateMach 4.5 high-performancemilitary aircraft engine.Bridging aproductivetransition from the spaceflighttothe aviation arena, this case historysupports the expectationthat fully-integratedairbreathing/rocketpropulsionsystemshold high promise toward meeting the demanding propulsionrequirementsoftomorrow'saircraft-likeSpacelinerclass transportationsystems. Lessons tobelearnedfrom this "SERJ Story" are offered forconsiderationby today's advancedspacetransportationand combined-cyclepropulsionresearchersand forward-planningcommunities.AUTHORS'PERSPECTIVESAs active participantsinNASA'sadvancedspace transportationdevelopmentfield (see"Acknowledgments"section ofthe paper), the authors express some concern that therelevanceofthe engine development history related here, tosuch ongoing spaceflightactivities,willnotalwaysbe clearto thereader.Afterall,thepropulsionapplicationfocuscoveredis high-performancemilitaryaircraft,notreusablespacetransports.Afurtherconcernwehaveis that,sincetheSERJengineneverevolvedbeyonditsexploratory-develo...