Supersonic. It's a superb word. Back in the 1950s and 60s, supersonic transport was the future. However, although we did have Concorde for a while, it didn't end up going the way people thought. Today, research continues to make faster-than-sound transport viable in a serious way - and it's going to be quiet.
You see, one of the main problems with Concorde, in particular, was that the passenger aircraft was not allowed to fly through the sound barrier over land. This was because of the loud sonic booms created as the vehicle passed through the sound barrier. These thunder-like shock waves were considered unbearable by people living under flight paths (consider this going on 24/7).
I remember seeing Concorde. It was only one time. As I was quite young, it's just a fuzzy memory. We were standing at the side of a road on a warm summer day as a small swept back triangle rocketed through the sky. It's funny, you expect technology to be constantly improving and never take a step back, but occasionally the initial leap forward is so great that whatever it is must pause, catch its breath and revaluate.
NASA is at the forefront of next-generation supersonic research. Bringing back Concorde-like passenger aircraft would drastically reduce travelling times and allow crossings of the Atlantic in just 3 hours. Contrast this with the ocean liners of a century ago - they took around five days. NASA has therefore been working on a concept for a new X-Plane prototype. Recently they announced that the agency would be partnering with Lockheed Martin in the $247.5 million venture. The goal: to design an aircraft capable of supersonic flight without the eardrum-shattering thunder crack.
Looking at the concept of the first manned X-Plane in a generation, the swept delta wing jet lends itself to the appearance of a missile. This design is to reduce the build-up of air pressure ahead of the plane as it flies close to the speed of sound. Like the Bell X-1 or famous X-15, this airplane will be built purely for research and should show some (hopefully promising) results by 2021 when NASA hopes to be flying it.
Tests will be flown over selected US cities to see if anyone notices. If all goes to plan, no one will be too bothered and the next phase in supersonic transport can begin. There are lots of other hurdles to jump over before the technology becomes viable as a profitable and affordable form of transport, but noise troubles are first on the list. If NASA can nail the shape, thunderous booms should, thankfully, be a thing of the past.
Article by James Whomsley
Editor of FliteTest.com
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