RE: Water could be answer to hot wings says DLR

Flightglobal:

The water cooling of a conceptual hypersonic transport system's wing leading edges is being investigated for the European Union's €7.3 million ($10.93 million)......

Author: Rob Coppinger

Date: 26 October 2009

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As long as the amount of water utillized is not too great then this idea makes a lot of sense. Some sort of recycling and heat exchange may well be needed in concert.. Anything which adds to unfuelled weight is detrimental for a Space vehicle and so if such a system could be employed it could both lower operating temperatures and reduce the need for high-cost materials as a result; as well as hopefully reducing weight accordingly. Assuming one isn't utilllizing Titanium from the start.