After years of design, development, and testing, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took to the skies for the first time Oct. 28, marking a historic moment for the field of aeronautics research and the agency’s Quesst mission.
The X-59, designed to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce the sound of loud sonic booms to quieter sonic thumps, took off at 11:14 a.m. EDT and flew for 67 minutes. The flight represents a major step toward quiet supersonic flight over land.
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The X-59’s first flight went as planned, with the aircraft operating slower than the speed of sound at 230 mph and a maximum altitude of about 12,000 feet, conditions that allowed the team to conduct in-flight system and performance checks. As is typical for an experimental aircraft’s first flight, landing gear was kept down the entire time while the team focused on ensuring the aircraft’s airworthiness and safety.
The aircraft traveled north to Edwards Air Force Base, circled before landing, and taxied to its new home at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, officially marking the transition from ground testing to flight operations.
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The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission and its first flight connects with the agency’s roots of flying bold, experimental aircraft.
“The X-59 is the first major, piloted X-plane NASA has built and flown in over 20 years – a unique, purpose-built aircraft,”
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Getting off the ground was only the beginning for the X-59. The team is now preparing the aircraft for full flight testing, evaluating how it will handle and, eventually, how its design will shape shock waves, which typically result in a sonic boom, in supersonic flight. The X-59 will eventually reach its target cruising speed of about 925 mph (Mach 1.4) at 55,000 feet.
The aircraft’s design sits at the center of that testing, shaping and distributing shock-wave formation. Its engine is mounted on top of the fuselage – the main body of the aircraft – to redirect air flow upward and away from the ground.
The cockpit sits mid-fuselage, with no forward-facing window. Instead, NASA developed an eXternal Vision System – cameras and advanced high-definition displays that allow the pilot to see ahead and below the aircraft, which is particularly critical during landing.
These design choices reflect years of research and modeling – all focused on changing how the quieter sonic thump from a supersonic aircraft will be perceived by people on the ground.
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Source: NASA’s X-59 Completes First Flight, Prepares for More Flight Testing – NASA
Robin Edgar
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