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An experimental supersonic aircraft called the X-59 took to the skies for the first time in October.
The plane took off from Skunk Works, the famous research and development facility owned by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin in California. It cruised for about an hour, before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, 85 miles (136 km) away.
NASA’s X-59 is designed to test technology for quiet supersonic flight. In the United States, a five-decade ban on non-military supersonic aircraft flying over land was imposed because of the loud noise.
This year, US President Donald Trump lifted the ban through an executive order. In the UK, supersonic flight over land needs to be specifically approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which acts independently of the government.
The goal of the X-59 is to transform the sonic boom into a quieter “sonic thump.” So if this proves possible, how likely is it that we’ll see the return of commercial supersonic air travel – not seen since the Concorde passenger jet was retired in 2003?
In the early 1950s, the race to achieve commercial supersonic travel was long and technically challenging. Teams from the UK and France, including British Aircraft Corporation and Aérospatiale, the US (Boeing) and the Soviet Union (Tupolev), worked on three aircraft to meet this challenge.
Of these three competing designs, only two: Concorde (UK and France) and the Tupolev Tu-144 (Soviet Union) produced prototype aircraft and follow-on aircraft that entered commercial operation.
In the US, the Boeing 2707 aircraft would have carried 250–300 passengers, three times more than Concorde, and would have done so at a higher cruise speed. However, rising costs, uncertainty about the market for the flights, and concerns about noise led to the American aircraft’s cancellation in 1971.
The Soviet TU-144 first took to the skies on December 31, 1968, while the Concorde’s first flight took place in March 1969. The TU-144 had a relatively short service life, however, lasting from 1975 to 1983.
It initially carried mail in preparation for passenger services starting in November 1977. However, these flights were canceled in June 1978 due to safety incidents and concerns about the economic feasibility of the aircraft.
Once passenger flights ceased, the then Soviet airline Aeroflot operated an updated version called the Tu-144D on freighter services only. Concorde remains the only operational commercial supersonic passenger aircraft following the withdrawal of the Tu-144 from service.
As the standard bearer of supersonic travel, Concorde carried passengers from London and Paris to destinations such as New York, Washington, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City. But its routes were limited due to a US ban on non-military supersonic aircraft flying over land.
The aircraft operated successfully until July 2000, when Air France Flight 4590 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 109 passengers and four people on the ground. Both British Airways and Air France suspended flights following the accident and returned in November 2001. But lack of confidence and other factors led to Concorde’s retirement from service in 2003.
But within 13 years of Concorde’s return there was new inspiration for supersonic travel. In 2016, NASA launched the Quiet Supersonic Technology (QUEST) project. The purpose of the quest is to investigate aircraft designs that will reduce the sonic boom typically associated with supersonic flight. The centerpiece of the Quest project is the X-59, an experimental aircraft built by Lockheed Martin at its Experimental Skunk Works site in California.
flying experiment
The
The aircraft will act as a flying experiment, collecting data from its test flights that will be disseminated within the aerospace community. This will support existing efforts by Boom Supersonics and Spike Aerospace companies, both of which are proposing supersonic aircraft of their own.
About the author
Malcolm Clowes Sr. is a lecturer in space science and space technology at Kingston University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. read the Original article.
So how does the X-59 achieve this? The short answer lies in its configuration. The aircraft has been designed after detailed design work through the use of extensive computer simulation and a wind tunnel testing programme.
The final configuration reached effectively reshapes the shockwaves generated during supersonic flight, converting the associated boom into a quieter sound. However, as a result, the X-59 does not resemble any conventional aircraft flying today.
The unusual design of the
The long, narrow nose and other features of the aircraft will reduce this by producing “quiet” thrust. This spear-like nose means that the cockpit for the pilot is located approximately half the length of the aircraft.
Its location means that a conventional cockpit window, as seen in all aircraft, is not possible. As a result, multiple high-resolution cameras and monitors allow the pilot to fly the plane and see what is happening outside.
The X-59 will provide useful flight data on supersonic boom mitigation, which can be applied to future aircraft.
But while boom mitigation has been addressed, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome to bring the new generation of supersonic aircraft into service.
A clear and well-developed business case will be required, taking into account potential customer volume and the number of aircraft required. Economics will need to be worked out, such as how much it costs to operate the aircraft, what its fuel costs and maintenance are.
There will also be environmental issues to consider, such as the fuel efficiency of new propulsion systems that can operate for longer periods of time in supersonic conditions.
If these challenges cannot be overcome, the rebirth of commercial supersonic travel will remain a distant dream.
Concorde was very successful, but the US supersonic aircraft ban limited the routes it could fly.