X-59 prepares for quiet supersonic flight testing

The Lockheed Martin X-59's nose design should allow for quiet supersonic flight, turning the usual sonic boom into a quiet sonic thump. The aircraft will be tested over residential areas and noise feedback will be collected.

The Lockheed Martin team at the Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, has put the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology aircraft nose into place in preparation for flight testing.

The nose of the X-59 makes up almost a third of the length of the aircraft and is a key element to shaping shockwaves during supersonic flight. The shape of the nose has been designed to turn the noise it produces into what it describes as quiet sonic thumps rather than sonic booms. The nose was attached and then removed in preparation for the aircraft being shipped to Fort Worth, Texas for additional testing.

During the testing the X-59 will fly at supersonic speeds over communities as part of the low boom flight demonstration, NASA will then gather community feedback to the noise of the quiet supersonic flight. The findings will be shared with regulators to inform decisions on restrictions of supersonic flight over land.