NASA is close to creating an airplane that will be almost twice as fast as Concorde
NASA has made a big step forward in its project to create a supersonic passenger plane. It is expected to be almost twice as fast as the Concorde, which reached a maximum cruising speed of 2,179 km/h, writes The Mirror.
We are talking about the X-59 QueSST project, which NASA is implementing together with Lockheed Martin. Together they are developing a passenger plane that can fly from London to New York in an hour and a half. This is four times faster than the capabilities of other aircraft.
Last week, the X-59 QueSST was moved to the paint shop at Lockheed Martin’s facility in California (USA). Here, the body of the aircraft will be painted white and blue and red accents will be added. After that, the team will take final measurements of the aircraft’s weight and shape to improve computer modeling.
“The paint doesn’t just add cosmetic value. It also serves a purpose – the paint helps to protect the aircraft from moisture and corrosion and includes key safety markings to assist with ground and flight operations,” NASA explained.
As it is known, commercial supersonic flights over the Earth’s surface are prohibited in the United States. This decision was made because of the loud sound wave produced by supersonic aircraft when overcoming the sound barrier. The X-59 QueSST project should convince regulators that supersonic but relatively quiet aircraft can be created.