All articles tagged with #supersonic
Lockheed Martin's X-59, a quiet supersonic aircraft developed with NASA, successfully completed its first flight, marking a significant step toward enabling faster, quieter commercial supersonic travel by reducing sonic booms and expanding flight over land.
NASA's X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology aircraft successfully demonstrated in wind tunnel tests that its design can scatter shock waves to produce a muted sonic thump instead of a loud sonic boom, paving the way for quieter supersonic travel and a first flight planned for this year.
NASA and JAXA tested a scale model of the X-59 aircraft in a Japanese wind tunnel to assess noise levels and validate predictions for quieter supersonic flight, a key step toward developing commercial quiet supersonic airliners.
NASA's X-59 aircraft, developed with Lockheed Martin, aims to revolutionize supersonic travel by reducing the disruptive sonic boom to a quieter 'sonic thump.' The aircraft, featuring a unique elongated nose, is designed to manage shockwaves and spread them out, minimizing noise impact on the ground. The X-59 incorporates parts from various aircraft to save costs and relies on advanced computational technology for its design. Scheduled for test flights next year, the project seeks to gather data to potentially influence future commercial supersonic travel regulations.
The Concorde was a supersonic passenger jet that flew from 1976 to 2003, capable of reaching speeds over twice the speed of sound, with a record flight time between New York and London of under three hours. Its speed was achieved through a combination of a sleek, aerodynamic design, delta wings, and powerful turbojet engines with afterburners. However, the high fuel consumption and associated costs, along with incidents like the Air France Flight 4590 crash, led to its commercial downfall.
NASA has successfully fired up the engines of its X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (Quesst) aircraft, designed to produce a quieter "sonic thump" instead of a traditional sonic boom. This innovation aims to make supersonic flight over land feasible by reducing noise levels to 75 perceived loudness decibels, akin to a car door slam. The X-59, developed with Lockheed Martin, features a unique design with a long nose and external cameras for navigation, and is set to undergo further testing to establish acceptable noise standards for future supersonic travel.
The Concorde, a revolutionary supersonic plane, failed due to a combination of factors including poor business decisions, restrictions on flight routes, and a devastating crash in 2000. Despite its impressive speed and luxurious amenities, the Concorde's fuel inefficiency and loud sonic boom limited its operations. With a limited capacity of 109 passengers, tickets were expensive, costing $12,000 for a round trip across the Atlantic. The last Concorde flight took place in 2003, marking the end of an era in aviation.