NASA is wind tunnel testing what it hopes to be a new supersonic passenger jet design that will be much quieter than the Concorde. Teaming up with Lockheed Martin, NASA plans to develop what they call ‘Quiet Supersonic Technology’ or QueSST, in their new X-plane design concept.
Watch: NASA Wind Tunnel Testing on their new Quiet Supersonic Technology
The agency is testing a nine percent scale model of Lockheed Martin’s X-plane design in Glenn’s 8’ x 6’ Supersonic Wind Tunnel. During the next eight weeks, engineers will expose the model to wind speeds ranging from Mach 0.3 to Mach 1.6 (approximately 150 to 950 mph) to understand the aerodynamics of the X-plane design as well as aspects of the propulsion system. NASA expects the QueSST X-plane to pave the way for supersonic flight over land in the not too distant future.
“We’ll be measuring the lift, drag and side forces on the model at different angles of attack to verify that it performs as expected,” said aerospace engineer Ray Castner, who leads propulsion testing for NASA’s QueSST effort. “We also want to make sure the air flows smoothly into the engine under all operating conditions.” – NASA
NASA is working hard to redefine the rules for supersonic flight over land. Their goal is to produce an X-plane by 2020 with a unique design that separates the shock waves and expansions associated with supersonic flight ‘dramatically‘ reducing the noise produced by the aircraft.
Can you envision the day where you can purchase an affordable ticket and fly from New York to London in three and a half hours again like you could on the Concorde? How about Los Angeles to New York in under two hours? Will it ever happen or do you think supersonic passenger service is just too expensive and complicated for ordinary airline travel?
Featured image by NASA
NASA is wind tunnel testing what it hopes to be a new supersonic passenger jet design that will be much quieter than the Concorde. Teaming up with Lockheed Martin, NASA plans to develop what they call ‘Quiet Supersonic Technology’ or QueSST, in their new X-plane design concept.
Watch: NASA Wind Tunnel Testing on their new Quiet Supersonic Technology
The agency is testing a nine percent scale model of Lockheed Martin’s X-plane design in Glenn’s 8’ x 6’ Supersonic Wind Tunnel. During the next eight weeks, engineers will expose the model to wind speeds ranging from Mach 0.3 to Mach 1.6 (approximately 150 to 950 mph) to understand the aerodynamics of the X-plane design as well as aspects of the propulsion system. NASA expects the QueSST X-plane to pave the way for supersonic flight over land in the not too distant future.
“We’ll be measuring the lift, drag and side forces on the model at different angles of attack to verify that it performs as expected,” said aerospace engineer Ray Castner, who leads propulsion testing for NASA’s QueSST effort. “We also want to make sure the air flows smoothly into the engine under all operating conditions.” – NASA
NASA is working hard to redefine the rules for supersonic flight over land. Their goal is to produce an X-plane by 2020 with a unique design that separates the shock waves and expansions associated with supersonic flight ‘dramatically‘ reducing the noise produced by the aircraft.
Can you envision the day where you can purchase an affordable ticket and fly from New York to London in three and a half hours again like you could on the Concorde? How about Los Angeles to New York in under two hours? Will it ever happen or do you think supersonic passenger service is just too expensive and complicated for ordinary airline travel?
Featured image by NASA
This article was originally published on Fighter Sweep
Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world.
PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States
Scrubba Wash Bag
Our ultra-portable washing machine makes your journey easier. This convenient, pocket-sized travel companion allows you to travel lighter while helping you save money, time and water.
Our roots in shooting sports started off back in 1996 with our founder and CEO, Josh Ungier. His love of airguns took hold of our company from day one and we became the first e-commerce retailer dedicated to airguns, optics, ammo, and accessories. Over the next 25 years, customers turned to us for our unmatched product selection, great advice, education, and continued support of the sport and airgun industry.
COMMENTS
There are on this article.
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.