From a collaboration between Lockheed-Martin and NASA, the X-59 was born in the air, an aircraft destined to validate new methods and materials for future design
In order to have a new supersonic passenger airplane capable of exceeding the Mach 1 limit without producing the characteristic roar which, somewhat incorrectly, we call the wall of sound, for a few years now the NASA is developing the aircraft Questiona name which is actually the acronym for Quiet SuperSonic Technologyor “Technology for quiet supersonic”.
The maiden flight of the Quest
The idea is to satisfy the demand of airlines and the military for supersonic flights that no longer have the “sonic bang” problem, by experimenting with new aerodynamic shapes and materials. So he was the chief pilot of the project X-59the commander Nils Larsonto take it into flight for the first time X-59 NASA quest on October 28, an airplane built to carry out research on how to achieve a transition to supersonic flight that does not cause the classic “bang”, or at least that can contain it.
The flight lasted one hour and seven minutes after taking off from Palmdalein California, to end nearby Edwards Air Force Base. The airplane, built by Lockheed Martinis driven by an engine General Electric Aerospace F-414which brought it up to a share of approximately 4,000 meterswhere Larson performed checks and maneuvers at speeds between 170 and 250 knots (314-463 km/h), flying around the air base.
After several circuits, the plane landed on the base’s left runway 22, which is 4,500 meters long. Before landing, Larson flew over theArmstrong Flight Research Center of NASA as a salute to the engineers who designed the Quest.
The technical characteristics and tests
This first flight follows the start of the taxiing tests which began on 10 July, a dense series of tests to validate all the on-board systems enclosed in the narrow and long fuselage of thirty metersas well as verifying the components of the narrow-swept delta wing and the operation of the flight control computer (which had initially given technical problems), the hydraulic system and other components.
With one design speed of Mach 1.4 and an altitude of up to 17,000 metersthe X-59 incorporates several key features to minimize the intensity of the sonic boom. These include the elongated and sharp nose section of the aircraft, the shaping of the fuselage to prevent shock waves from causing the loud bang typical of exceeding the speed of sound, as well as an engine powered by an air intake that deflects the shock waves upwards.
The next phases of the program
After the post-flight analysis, which will keep the technicians busy for a few weeks, the NASA the expansion of flight performance will begin until reaching first transonic and then supersonic speeds. There phase twoscheduled for 2026will validate the acoustic characteristics of the aircraft, while the phase three it will serve to evaluate the response of local communities to the overflight of the new airplane and its acoustic impact.
NASA had initially planned to provide noise data toInternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in time for the meeting 2028 of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CAEP), to establish a reference standard. However, flight test delays have shifted this goal to 2030.
The fact remains that the mission carried out on October 28 is of enormous importance, despite the executive order signed last June by President Trump, which imposed on the aeronautical authority FAA to lift the ban on civil supersonic flights.
With the QUESTS, NASA opens a new era for air transport: the dream of “silent” supersonic flight takes off again.
