NASA is opening the door to silent supersonic aviation with the X-59 experimental aircraft.

POT showed an experimental aircraft X-59 which is capable of breaking the sound barrier without the characteristic loud rumble, which will allow the development of supersonic commercial aircraft that will significantly reduce flight time.

As Pam Melroy, deputy administrator of NASA, explained during the presentation of the aircraft in the Californian city of Palmdale, supersonic aircraft are designed for six hours and 30 minutes.

The X-59 will fly at a speed of 1,488 kilometers per hour, which is about 1.4 times the speed of sound.

On this path, an obstacle arose that supersonic aviation encountered.

When exceeding the speed of sound, which depending on conditions is about 1,235 kilometers per hour, supersonic aircraft generate a sonic boom that can exceed 200 decibels.

Faster than sound, but without much noise

The nuisance these sounds create in populated areas has led many countries to impose restrictions on supersonic aviation, effectively limiting its development.

The main feature is the speed of sound.

Melroy explained that the nose of the X-59 is one-third of the overall length of the experimental aircraft, with an overall length of 100 feet or 30.5 meters.

“This design is really key to dispersing sound waves,” said NASA’s associate administrator, who described the noise generated by the X-59 as a “hum” instead of the usual rumble.

Without a windshield and with the cockpit in the center of the plane.

The compression of sound waves when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound causes a sonic boom.

According to Melroy, the special design of the bow

Another feature of the X-59 that helps reduce noise levels is the placement of the cabin almost in the center of the aircraft. In addition, engineers have eliminated the cabin windshield, further reducing sound impact.

Melroy called the decision to remove part of the plane’s cockpit “an important step forward for the development of aviation technology.”

Removing part of the cockpit forced engineers to develop a high-tech vision system with high-resolution cameras and displays that “has the potential to influence the design of future aircraft in cases where eliminating the windshield provides benefits,” the NASA spokesman added.

Following this Friday’s unveiling, the X-59 will begin a series of test flights. NASA and Lockheed Martin would later expand the program to fly the X-59 over populated areas and gather public reaction to the noise it created.

According to EFE

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