WE TALK ABOUT
Silent supersonic passenger jets
AMERICAN space agency Nasa and aerospace company Lockheed Martin have introduced an experimental “quiet” supersonic (see Word of the Week) aircraft that could help revolutionise passenger flights.
The X-59 test aircraft is central to Nasa’s Quesst project, which hopes to pave the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that will be able to travel faster than the speed of sound – without much noise.
A major obstacle in the way of supersonic commercial aviation is the sonic boom, a loud explosive noise caused when an aircraft bursts through the sound barrier.
Supersonic flights over land can be very disturbing to people down on the ground – which is why such flights are currently banned by aviation authorities in America and many other countries.
The X-59 test aircraft is set to take to the skies later this year and is expected to fly at 1,4 times the speed of sound (about 1 488km/h).
