The Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST ("Quiet SuperSonic Technology") is an American experimental
supersonic aircraft
A supersonic aircraft is an aircraft capable of supersonic flight, that is, flying faster than the speed of sound (Mach number 1). Supersonic speed, Supersonic aircraft were developed in the second half of the twentieth century. Supersonic airc ...
being developed at
Skunk Works
Skunk Works is an official pseudonym for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs (ADP), formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. It is responsible for a number of aircraft designs, beginning with the P-38 Lightning in 1 ...
for
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
's Low-
Boom
Boom may refer to:
Objects
* Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill
* Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation
* Boom (sailing), a sailboat part
* Boom (windsurfi ...
Flight Demonstrator project. Preliminary design started in February 2016, with the X-59 to be delivered to NASA in 2021 for
flight test
Flight testing is a branch of aeronautical engineering that develops specialist equipment required for testing aircraft behaviour and systems. Instrumentation systems are developed using proprietary transducers and data acquisition systems. D ...
ing in 2023. It is expected to cruise at at an altitude of , creating a low 75 Perceived Level
decibel
The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whose levels differ by one decibel have a po ...
(PLdB) thump to evaluate
supersonic transport
A supersonic transport (SST) or a supersonic airliner is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. To date, the only SSTs to see regular service have been Concorde and the Tupol ...
acceptability.
Development
![Quiet Supersonic Technology Preliminary Design Model (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Quiet_Supersonic_Technology_Preliminary_Design_Model_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In February 2016,
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
was awarded a preliminary
design
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...
contract, aiming to fly in the 2020 timeframe.
A 9% scale model was to be
wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
tested from Mach 0.3 to Mach 1.6 between February and April 2017.
The
preliminary design review
In the United States military integrated acquisition lifecycle the Technical section has multiple acquisition "Technical Reviews". Technical reviews and audits assist the acquisition and the number and types are tailored to the acquisition. Over ...
was to be completed by June 2017.
[
While NASA received three inquiries for its August 2017 request for proposals, Lockheed was the sole bidder.][
On April 2, 2018, NASA awarded Lockheed Martin a $247.5 million contract to design, build and deliver in late 2021 the Low-Boom ]X-plane
The X-planes are a series of experimental United States aircraft and rockets, used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic concepts. They have an X designator within the US system of aircraft designations, which denotes the exper ...
.
On June 26, 2018, the US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
informed NASA it had assigned the X-59 QueSST designation to the demonstrator.
By October, NASA Langley
The Langley Research Center (LaRC or NASA Langley), located in Hampton, Virginia, United States of America, is the oldest of NASA's field centers. It directly borders Langley Air Force Base and the Back River on the Chesapeake Bay. LaRC has foc ...
had completed three weeks of wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
testing of an 8%-scale model
A scale model is a physical model which is geometrically similar to an object (known as the prototype). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototypes ...
, with high AOAs up to 50° and 88° at very low speed, up from 13° in previous tunnel campaigns.
Testing was for static stability and control, dynamic forced oscillations, and laser flow visualization
Flow visualization or flow visualisation in fluid dynamics is used to make the flow patterns visible, in order to get qualitative or quantitative information on them.
Overview
Flow visualization is the art of making flow patterns visible. ...
, expanding on previous experimental and computational predictions.
From November 5, 2018, NASA was to begin tests over two weeks to gather feedback: up to eight thumps a day at different locations will be monitored by 20 noise sensors and described by 400 residents, receiving a $25 per week compensation.
To simulate the thump, an F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
is diving from to briefly go supersonic for reduced shock waves over Galveston, Texas
Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
, an island, and a stronger boom over water.
By then, Lockheed Martin had begun milling the first part in Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south.
On Aug ...
.
In May 2019, the initial major structural parts were loaded in the tooling assembly.[
In June, assembly was getting underway.]
The external vision system (XVS) was flight tested on a King Air
The Beechcraft King Air is a line of American utility aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The King Air line comprises a number of twin-turboprop models that have been divided into two families. The Model 90 and 100 series developed in the 1960s ...
at NASA Langley.
This will be followed by high speed wind tunnel Low subsonic tunnel
Low-speed wind tunnels are used for operations at very low Mach number, with speeds in the test section up to 480 km/h (~ 134 m/s, M = 0.4). They may be of open-return type (also known as the Eiffel type, see figure), or clo ...
tests to verify inlet performance predictions with a 9.5%-scale model at NASA Glenn Research Center
NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field is a NASA center within the cities of Brook Park and Cleveland between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the Rocky River Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks, with a subsidiary facilit ...
.
The critical design review
In the United States military integrated acquisition lifecycle the Technical section has multiple acquisition "Technical Reviews". Technical reviews and audits assist the acquisition and the number and types are tailored to the acquisition. Over ...
was successfully held on September 9–13, before the report to NASA's Integrated Aviation Systems Program by November. Then, 80–90% of the drawings should be released to engineering.
The wing assembly was to be completed in 2020.[
In December 2020, construction was halfway completed, and ]first flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...
was then planned for 2022.
After flight-clearance testing at the Armstrong Flight Research Center
The NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. Its primary campus is located inside Edwards Air Force Base in California and is considered NASA's premier site for aeronautical res ...
, an acoustic validation will include air-to-air Schlieren imaging Schlieren imaging is a method to visualize density variations in transparent media.
The term "schlieren imaging" is commonly used as a synonym for schlieren photography, though this article particularly treats visualization of the pressure field p ...
backlit by the Sun to confirm the shockwave pattern until September 2022.[
NASA will conduct flight tests over U.S. cities to verify the safety and performance of the X-59's quiet supersonic technologies and evaluate community responses for ]regulators
Regulator may refer to:
Technology
* Regulator (automatic control), a device that maintains a designated characteristic, as in:
** Battery regulator
** Pressure regulator
** Diving regulator
** Voltage regulator
* Regulator (sewer), a control de ...
, which could enable commercial supersonic travel over land.
Community-response flight tests starting in 2023–2025 will be used for ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection meeting (CAEP13) establishing a sonic boom standard.[ The results of the community overflights will be delivered to the ]ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
and the FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
in 2027, allowing for a decision to be made to revise the rules on commercial supersonic travel over land in 2028.
NASA reported the installation of the General Electric F-414-GE-100 engine on the X-59, which took place at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works in Palmdale, California early November 2022. The engine is 13 ft long and produces 22,000 lb of thrust.
Design
The Low-Boom X-plane will be long with a wingspan for a maximum takeoff weight
The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot is allowed to attempt to take off, due to structural or other limits. The analogous ...
of . Propelled by a General Electric F414
The General Electric F414 is an American afterburning turbofan engine in the 22,000- pound (98 kN) thrust class produced by GE Aviation. The F414 originated from GE's widely used F404 turbofan, enlarged and improved for use in the Boeing F/A-18 ...
engine, it should reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.5 or , and cruise at Mach 1.42 or at .
The cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
, ejection seat
In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the aircraft pilot, pilot or other aircrew, crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an ex ...
and canopy
Canopy may refer to:
Plants
* Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests)
* Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes
Religion and ceremonies
* Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...
come from a Northrop T-38 and the landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
from an F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
.[ With afterburner its engine will provide of thrust.
The ground noise is expected to be around 60 dB(A), about 1/1000 as loud as current supersonic aircraft. This is achieved by using a long, narrow airframe and canards to keep the ]shock wave
In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a med ...
s from coalescing.
It should create a 75 Perceived Level decibel (PLdB) thump on ground, as loud as closing a car door
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
, compared with 105-110 PLdB for the Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
.[
The central engine has a top-mounted ]intake
An intake (also inlet) is an opening, structure or system through which a fluid is admitted to a space or machine as a consequence of a pressure differential between the outside and the inside. The pressure difference may be generated on the ins ...
for low boom, but inlet flow distortion due to vortices
In fluid dynamics, a vortex ( : vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in th ...
is a concern.[
The flush cockpit means that the long and pointed nose-cone will obstruct all forward vision. The X-59 will use an ]enhanced flight vision system
An enhanced flight vision system (EFVS, sometimes EVS) is an airborne system which provides an image of the scene and displays it to the pilot, in order to provide an image in which the scene and objects in it can be better detected. In other wo ...
(EVS), consisting of a forward 4K camera with a 33° by 19° angle of view
The angle of view is the decisive variable for the visual perception of the size or projection of the size of an object.
Angle of view and perception of size
The perceived size of an object depends on the size of the image projected onto the ...
, which will compensate for the lack of forward visibility.
United Technologies
United Technologies Corporation (UTC) was an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut. It researched, developed, and manufactured products in numerous areas, including aircraft engines, aerospace systems ...
subsidiary Collins Aerospace was selected to supply its Pro Line Fusion Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
avionics, displaying the boom on the ground, and EVS with long-wave infrared sensors.
The Collins EVS-3600 multispectral imaging system, beneath the nose, is used for landing
Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown" or ...
, while the NASA external vision system (XVS), in front of the cockpit, is giving a forward view.[
]
See also
References
External links
*
*
{{Supersonic transport
QueSST
NASA programs
Proposed aircraft of the United States
Supersonic transports