He X-59 of the POT It has finally had its official presentation ceremony. The silent supersonic plane developed by the US special agency has been shown to the public for the first time, after years of knowing it only by renders or artistic interpretations.
At the facilities of Skunk WorksLockheed Martin’s secret projects division located in Palmdale, California, NASA just offered the first look at the X-59 fully assembled and sporting its final color scheme. As explained by those responsible for the project, the painting work was carried out in November 2023.
Once completed, the engineers in charge of the aircraft took final measurements of its exact design and weight. This will help optimize the computer modeling for flight testing and modifications that may be implemented in the future.
After all, NASA’s X-59 is a experimental supersonic aircraft and still has a long way to go. The intention is for the aircraft to make its first flight this year, while the Quesst program will extend until 2027.
“This is the big reveal. The presentation is a big milestone in achieving the overall goal of the Quesst mission of silencing the sonic boom,” he said. Catherine BahmNASA supervisor in charge of the X-59 development and manufacturing project.
NASA X-59: in search of silent supersonic flight
When NASA presented the first conceptual arts of the X-59, we were able to see a futuristic and very peculiar design, which has now been transferred to a real aircraft. The experimental supersonic aircraft stands out not only for its narrow fuselage, but also for its long nose. In fact, the cockpit is located considerably further from the nose than in any other supersonic aircraft – commercial or military – previously built.
As it is a project led by NASA, the X-59 boasts a design with a color scheme dominated by white. The underside of the aircraft is painted “sonic blue”, while some red lines have been added to the wings. As explained by the North American special agency, the paint not only serves aesthetic purposes, but is specially prepared for prevent possible damage from corrosion or moisture.
Now that the X-59 has been officially presented to the public, the decisive steps will begin so that NASA can fly it in the United States. The Quesst project aims to eliminate traditional sonic boomthe explosive sound generated when shock waves from a device traveling through the air at a speed greater than the speed of sound merge before reaching the ground.
According to NASA, the design and technology of the X-59 can eliminate that annoying noise and replace it with a much less noticeable “sonic knock”. According to Lockheed Martin, the noise is almost as loud as a car door closing.
During the development of the aircraft, multiple tests have been carried out in a wind tunnel using a scale version of the experimental supersonic aircraft. However, the moment of truth will be when the aircraft begins its real-world tests.
Main features
According to Lockheed Martin data sheetthese are the main specifications of NASA’s X-59:
Long | 30.38 meters |
High | 4.26 meters |
Wingspan | 9.02 meters |
Empty weight) | 6,799 kilograms |
Engine | 1 General Electric F414-GE-100 |
Speed | Mach 1.4 |
Operational flight ceiling | 55,000 feet (16,764 meters) |
Noise (perceived decibel level) | Less than 75 PLdB |
What’s next for the Quesst mission
NASA will choose several U.S. towns and cities and fly over them at high altitude and speed to determine how noticeable the X-59’s “sonic boom” is. The space agency will not limit itself to collecting information on the operation of the plane. Also will analyze the public response to the noise generated by it during supersonic flight.
The intention of the mission leaders is to present all the data collected to United States regulators. NASA trusts that, with the help of X-59, they will be able to obtain what is necessary to get the authorities to take measures that suspend the ban on supersonic commercial flights over populated areas.
Let us remember that this was one of the reasons that prevented the expansion of the concorde. The British Airways and Air France aircraft was banned from flying at supersonic speeds over the US mainland due to complaints caused by its sonic boom. This meant that the plane could only exceed the speed of sound when traveling over the Atlantic Ocean, when connecting Paris or London with New York.