384
NASA, Lockheed Martin Reveal X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft (www.nasa.gov)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
90 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

NASA and Lockheed Martin formally debuted the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft Friday. Using this one-of-a-kind experimental airplane, NASA aims to

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 14 points 2 years ago (8 children)

Guys, check out the cockpit.

I know technology is wildly advanced and he probably has a 360 view now, but other than test pilots, who are you going to get to fly a plane that lacks a forward view?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 16 child comments
    •
  • [–] 13 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    One of the material issues with supersonic is friction heat buildup. Probably can't have a front windshield at that speed.

    Cameras and instrumentation will do just fine tho

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The heat is from compression, not friction. And besides that, this thing is only flying at mach 1.5, there are TONS of aircraft that fly at those speeds (and much faster) with windshields.

    The reason it doesn't have a front windshield is because the change in shape of the aircraft at the windshield, to be more vertical, was disrupting their method of reducing the sonic boom. The aircraft needs the shape it has, so a windshield would have to be like 20 feet long to offer any forward visibility.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    but other than test pilots, who are you going to get to fly a plane that lacks a forward view?

    This plane will only be flown by test pilots. Its a technology demonstrator. Researchers build one of these to test concepts in physics in the real world.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    With that speed you aren't able to react to anything visible in the flightpath anyway 💨

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •