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NASA, Lockheed Martin Reveal X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft (www.nasa.gov)

submitted 10 months ago by Hypx@kbin.social to c/technology@lemmy.world

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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

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[-] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago

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?

[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago

With that huge honker of a nose, it’s not like you’d see much anyway. Entire cities could hide behind that

[-] TheMightyCanuck@sh.itjust.works 12 points 10 months ago

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

[-] Ducky@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

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.

[-] TheMightyCanuck@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago

Neat. Thanks for the info!

[-] Poem_for_your_sprog@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

Looks like there's a forward facing camera.

[-] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months 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.

[-] dasJot@feddit.de 5 points 9 months ago

No instruments, just a microphone to talk to ChatGPT.

[-] rckclmbr@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

Basically Stealth IRL.

BTW, fucking coolest, most underrated movie ever IMO

[-] Halcyon@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 10 months ago

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

[-] AstroTechie@lemdro.id 1 points 10 months ago

It's not supersonic during landing or taxing, which I guess is when a direct view would be more useful.

[-] Halcyon@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 10 months ago

I wasn't serious.

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

laughs in P-51 mustang

[-] z00s@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

You know planes fly at night yeah, when you can't see things

[-] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Oh of course. Landing might not be fun though.

this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2024

380 points (97.7% liked)

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