NASA presents a silent supersonic plane capable of reducing flight time – peak time zone

NASA and Lockheed Martin's X-59 supersonic experimental aircraft was unveiled during a launch event in Palmdale

a NASA Last Friday, the 12th of this month, it presented the experimental X-59 aircraft capable of penetrating sound barrier Without the characteristic loud noise. The novelty will allow the development of supersonic commercial aircraft that will significantly reduce flight times. As NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Milroy explained during the plane's presentation, supersonic aircraft depend on… X-59 They will, for example, halve the flight time between New York and Los Angeles, which is currently six hours and thirty minutes. Hey X-59 It will fly at a speed of 1,488 kilometers per hour, which is approximately 1.4 times the speed of sound. The plane was able to overcome the main obstacle facing supersonic flight. When supersonic aircraft exceed the speed of sound, which is about 1,235 kilometers per hour, they generate a boom that can exceed two hundred decibels. The extremely loud noise prompted many countries to impose strict restrictions on supersonic flight in populated areas, which ultimately restricted the development of such aircraft.

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The main feature of X-59 Its long nose is longer than that of the old Concorde, the supersonic commercial airliner jointly developed by France and the United Kingdom (1976-2003), which was capable of flying at twice the speed of sound. Pam Milroy explained that the nose X-59 It is equivalent to one-third of the total size of the experimental aircraft, which is approximately 30 meters long. Lockheed Martin's advanced programs unit, Skunk Works, is involved in developing the new aircraft. This unit is responsible for the creation of historic aircraft such as the U-2 Spies and the SR-71 Blackbird.

“This design is really important for dispersing sound waves,” explained NASA's deputy administrator, who described the resulting noise. X-59 Like a “puff” instead of the usual rumble. The pressure of sound waves when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound is what generates the boom. According to Pam Milroy, the special design of X-59 The engine's location at the top of the plane also allows sound waves to be dispersed, preventing them from being compressed and booming.

Another advantage of X-59 What helps the plane to be less noisy is placing the cockpit practically in the middle of the plane. In addition, engineers removed the windshield of the cabin, which reduces the noise effect. Pam Milroy described the decision to remove part of the cockpit as “an important step forward in the development of aviation technology.” This is because the decision forced engineers to develop a high-tech vision system, equipped with high-resolution cameras and displays that “have the potential to influence the future design of aircraft, in cases where removing the windshield offers advantages.” Starting this week, X-59 He begins to carry out a series of test flights. forward, NASA Lockheed Martin will expand the program and fly with X-59 On populated areas to collect residents' impressions about noise.