Quite appropriately, almost 48 years ago now, the old Concorde was retired. . . in no small part as a result of the awful din of sonic booms, whenever, and wherever it flew faster than Mach 1.
This new demo-tech, in the so called X-59 flies a nearly noiseless Mach 1.1, as it minimizes the shockwaves / interference pattern behind the jet (which makes the thumpingly loud "boom" on the ground below). Here's the unveiling story, this past week at Skunkworks:
. . .At 99.7 feet long and 29.5 feet wide, the aircraft’s shape and the technological advancements it houses will make quiet supersonic flight possible. The X-59’s thin, tapered nose accounts for almost a third of its length and will break up the shock waves that would ordinarily result in a supersonic aircraft causing a sonic boom.
Due to this configuration, the cockpit is located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft – and does not have a forward-facing window. Instead, the Quesst team developed the eXternal Vision System, a series of high-resolution cameras feeding a 4K monitor in the cockpit.
The Quesst team also designed the aircraft with its engine mounted on top and gave it a smooth underside to help keep shockwaves from merging behind the aircraft and causing a sonic boom. . . .
Now you know -- stay safe and warm, one and all -- we will have been sub-zero for about 56 hours (in actual temps, and at wind-chills of below minus 20!) by the time we slip into positive territory, on Wednesday midday. The sun is shining, but it is barking cold here, to be sure. So. . . nationwide, and south of here in particular (as you may not have the gear, and/or home insulation, on piping, for example) . . . be safe!
नमस्ते
No comments:
Post a Comment