US unveils new supersonic, quiet aircraft

Close-up of the new supersonic aircraft

In a joint ceremony with Skunk Works, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, in Palmdale, California on January 13 (Vietnam time), NASA unveiled the X-59, an experimental hypersonic aircraft that is expected to reach speeds of 1.4 times the speed of sound (1,488 km/h).

The X-59 is 100 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a thin, tapered nose that accounts for nearly a third of the plane’s overall length. This feature is designed to disperse the shock waves that would normally envelop the aircraft and cause sonic booms.

In an effort to further enhance the plane's supersonic capabilities, engineers moved the cockpit down nearly half the length and eliminated the forward-facing windows found on other aircraft.

Explaining the X-59's configuration at the unveiling, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said: "We made decisions to reduce the aircraft's operational noise, but it's really a major step forward for the aircraft itself and for the advancement of aviation technology."

X-59 is expected to take off this year.

“[Given] the huge challenge of limited cockpit [visibility], the engineering team developed an external vision system, and it was really a great innovation of high-resolution cameras feeding information to an ultra-high-resolution display,” said Melroy.

The X-59 is also designed with the engines mounted on top and the underside smooth to prevent shock waves from forming behind the aircraft and causing sonic booms.

The X-59 is expected to make its first test flight this year before moving on to quiet supersonic flight.

Once the test flights are complete, the X-59 will fly over several US cities and in the process gather public opinion on the aircraft's performance.

For half a century, commercial supersonic flights have been banned over the US mainland because they are too noisy. The X-59 is expected to make the dream of supersonic flight a reality.

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