Its thin, tapered nose makes up almost a third of the plane’s total length and it’s a small detail that should make all the difference. The American space agency, NASA, and the company Lockheed Martin, specializing in aeronautics and defense, officially presented their new supersonic aircraft, the X-59. And if it wants to be “the little brother of Concorde”, its particularity lies in the fact that it will be “silent”.
The Nasa indicates, in fact, that the X-59 should fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 mph (compared to 550 to 580 mph for large commercial aircraft). But “its design, shape and technologies will allow the aircraft to reach these speeds while generating a quieter thump.” So no more “supersonic boom” which got the better of the Concorde, but (again) hello the London / New York journey in 90 minutes.
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A first flight this year
The Once NASA completes its testing, the agency will fly the plane over several U.S. cities, collecting information about the sound the X-59 generates and how people perceive it .
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The idea being, ultimately, to establish precise specifications for aircraft manufacturers to “enlighten future generations of silent supersonic aircraft”. “NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.
2024-01-16 08:03:04
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