NASA and Lockheed Martin's X59 experimental supersonic jet is unveiled during a launch ceremony in Palmdale
A NASA presented last Friday the 12th the experimental aircraft X59 capable of breaking that Sound barrier without the characteristic loud noise. The novelty will allow the development of supersonic airliners, which will significantly reduce flight times. As NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy explained during the aircraft's presentation, a supersonic aircraft is based on X59 For example, they will reduce the flight time between New York and Los Angeles by half, which is currently six hours and thirty minutes. O X59 It will fly at a speed of 1,488 kilometers per hour about 1.4 times the speed of sound. The aircraft managed to overcome the main obstacle to supersonic aviation. When supersonic aircraft exceed the speed of sound, around 1,235 kilometers per hour, they produce a boom that can be more than two hundred decibels. The extremely loud noise led many countries to severely restrict supersonic flight in populated areas, which ultimately limited the development of these aircraft.
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The main feature of the X59 is its long nose, longer than that of the old Concorde, the supersonic airliner jointly developed by France and the United Kingdom (19762003) that could fly at twice the speed of sound. Pam Melroy explained that the nose of X59 It corresponds to a third of the total size of the experimental aircraft, which measures around 30 meters. Lockheed Martin's advanced programs division, Skunk Works, is involved in the development of the new aircraft. This unit is responsible for producing historic aircraft such as the U2 Spies and the SR71 Blackbird.
“This design is really critical to disperse sound waves,” explained NASA's deputy administrator, describing the noise it creates X59 like a “murmur” instead of the usual rumble. The compression of sound waves as the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound produces the bang. According to Pam Melroy, the special design of the X59 and the location of the engine in the upper part of the aircraft allows sound waves to propagate, preventing them from compressing and popping.
Another feature of X59 What helps the aircraft make less noise is the placement of the pilot's cabin practically in the middle of the aircraft. In addition, the engineers have eliminated the cabin's front windshield, further reducing noise pollution. Pam Melroy called the decision to eliminate part of the cockpit an “important step forward in the advancement of aviation technology.” That's because the decision forced engineers to develop a hightech vision system with cameras and highresolution screens that “has the potential to influence future aircraft design if removing the windshield provides benefits.” Starting this week the X59 begins conducting a series of test flights. Further ahead, the NASA and Lockheed Martin will expand the program and fly with it X59 over populated areas to collect residents' impressions of the noise.