Posted on 07/11/2023 1:26:40 PM PDT by Red Badger
NASA’s X-59 QueSST
This artist’s concept of NASA’s QueSST jet reflects the airplane’s final configuration following years of research and design engineering. The jet is now under construction by Lockheed Martin at the company’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. Credit: Lockheed Martin
NASA’s X-59 aircraft, capable of supersonic flight while reducing sonic booms to quieter ‘thumps’, has been moved for testing in California. The collected data on human reactions to supersonic noise will potentially assist in enabling commercial supersonic flight over land.
The following series of images shows NASA’s X-59 as it sits on the flight line—the space between the hangar and the runway—at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, on June 19, 2023. The move from its construction site to the flight line is one of many milestones that prepare the X-59 for its first and subsequent flights. Next up, the team will conduct significant ground tests to ensure the aircraft is safe to fly.
NASA X-59 Aircraft Near Runway at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
Technicians check out the X-59 aircraft as it sits near the runway at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, on June 19, 2023. Credit: Lockheed Martin
The X-59 aircraft—the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission—is designed to demonstrate the ability to fly supersonic, or faster than Mach 1, while reducing the loud sonic boom to a quiet sonic thump. NASA will then fly the X-59 over several communities to gather data on human responses to the sound generated during supersonic flight. NASA will deliver that data set to U.S. and international regulators to possibly enable commercial supersonic flight over land.
NASA X-59 Aircraft Runway at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
NASA’s X-59 aircraft is parked near the runway at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, on June 19, 2023. This is where the X-59 will be housed during ground and initial flight tests. Credit: Lockheed Martin
The Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) mission, spearheaded by NASA’s aeronautical innovators, is a pioneering collaboration between government and industry aimed at making overland supersonic flight a reality. This revolutionary step could drastically cut travel times across the United States and globally.
NASA X-59 Aircraft Parked Near Runway at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
NASA’s X-59 aircraft is parked near the runway at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, on June 19, 2023. This is where the X-59 will be housed during ground and initial flight tests. Credit: Lockheed Martin
The QueSST mission has two main objectives. Firstly, to design and construct the X-59 research aircraft, equipped with cutting-edge technology that mitigates the deafening sonic boom typically associated with supersonic travel to a gentle thump perceptible to those on the ground. The second objective is to fly the X-59 over various communities across the U.S., collecting vital data on how humans respond to the noise generated during supersonic flight. This collected data will then be shared with U.S. and international regulators.
The aim is to utilize this information to write and implement new sound-based regulations surrounding supersonic flight over land. This could potentially unlock new commercial cargo and passenger markets, offering the tantalizing possibility of faster-than-sound air travel.
AVIATION PING!...........................
That sonic boom also represents wasted energy. If we can eliminate the sonic boom, perhaps fuel economy at supersonic speeds would go up.
The things I've learned on this forum over the past 25 years just keep increasing. That's one of the coolest and most interesting things I've read in a long time.
I've no idea how sonic boom translates into wasted energy but it sounds damn' cool to me!
ALWAYS my first question . . . . . . . why ?
It’s basically keeping a vacuum alive, so get rid of that vacuum and that energy is no longer wasted. Spread it across the upper part of the wings and generate lift instead.
I always wondered why fighters and bombers are so loud. Isn't it a waste of energy, or would it require more energy to silence them?
“...gather data on human responses to the sound generated during supersonic flight.”
My response is “NO WAY IN HELL do I want to hear a THUMP!”
This jet will be a fuel hog, so why work on it when other parts of the SAME government are starting to say “End all jet travel because jet suck up fossil fuels, warm the planet, white supremacy air travel, blah, blah, blah.”
Quieting jet engines (turbojet or turbofan) generally requires adding weight to them. That’s unnecessary weight in a combat aircraft that does nothing for combat capability. What I find interesting about them is the designers’ ability to direct the noise backwards. A jet fighter approching is almost inaudible to people on the ground ... when it passes overhead the sound goes from nil to deafening almost instantly. And no, it’s not because they’re supersonic.
Does your comment mean that you’re on the side of the “End all jet travel because blahblahblah” crowd?
Hardly. Just pointing out the extreme hypocrisy of our federal government with branches working at odds with each other...all the while wasting our money with their internecine warfare.
SUPERSONIC JET FUEL HOGS!! Yes. Get to your destination in half the time (why?)
END ALL FOSSIL FUELS!! Yes!!
That I understand, thanks!
“That sonic boom also represents wasted energy. If we can eliminate the sonic boom, perhaps fuel economy at supersonic speeds would go up.”
It’s true that the sonic boom represents waisted energy, as is the case for the bow wave on a boat. But unforntunatly, there is no way to eliminate the shock wave ahead of a supersonic aircraft, and therefore no way to eliminate the somic boom.
As I understand it, the goal of the X-59 is to spread out the shock wave somewhat to reduce the peak sound intensity.
Get to your destination in half the time (why?)
Have you ever flown across the Pacific?
It doesn't seem scaleable for commercial passenger flights.
This aircraft will enable John Kerry to get to his climate change meetings faster.
“Have you ever flown across the Pacific?”
Quite a few times. My favorite was leaving Guam on Pan Am back in the late 70s when the cabin had a few movie screens and you had the rubber tubes up to your ears. My seat was close to the screen and I didn’t have an eyeshade with me. The audio on the movie broke. The stews graciously announced “There’s no audio, but we are going to play the movie for you anyway.” So I had the damned flickering light of the movie in my eyes for two hours so I couldn’t get to sleep. I still remember that great trip.
“This jet will be a fuel hog, so why work on it when other parts of the SAME government are starting to say “End all jet travel…”
Because any commercial aircraft that results from these tests will ease the lives of the elites they serve. But then you knew that.
The Concord used an absurd amount of fuel to cross the Atlantic at Mach 2. About eight times the fuel per passenger than a 747 on the same route.
https://simpleflying.com/concorde-fuel-consumption/
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