Looks like 1950s retro futurism version of a jet
In the future people will even be able to play chess with someone across the world, and even order a pizza to their door on the telephone.
and even order a pizza to their door on the telephone.
While living on the moon. (50s futurists aimed high.)
You can't fool me. That's an H type Nubian yacht from star wars.
If they are taking about an "X-59" it's because the classified tests on the "X-109" went well.
What is the X-109?
It's classified.
I can't even find the existence of the name, which would be quite unusual.
It's G-14 classified.
Just mentioning that a G-15 classified project is classified as such, is a serious crime. I will report to the authorities before they.... Someone is already at my door!
Hello.
That woosh definitely made a sonic boom
"NASA aims to gather data that could revolutionize air travel, paving the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound."
I think that is definitely just a cover because they don't want to admit they're actually developing supersonic stealth planes for the military.
I think that is definitely just a cover because they don't want to admit ~~they're~~ they've actually ~~developing~~ developed supersonic stealth planes for the military.
Ftfy
What they reveal openly is usually from years ago. A couple aerospace friends are always like "yea, we heard scuttlebut about that about 5 years ago, so that means it was already a thing 10 years ago*, haha.
Well hiding the giant boom is probably a good stepping stone to that so yeah
This appears to be designed for taking out zeppelins
Looks like something you will see in Ace Combat.
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?
With that huge honker of a nose, it’s not like you’d see much anyway. Entire cities could hide behind that
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
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.
Looks like there's a forward facing camera.
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.
Define quiet....
The Sonic Boom will sound more like your neighbours car door closing than an explosion
A sonic thump could still be very disturbing. Maybe not break windows, but induce panic I a lot of people.
It’s like a blind Pinocchio flying at the speed of sound controlled by a touch screen. 2024, ladies and gents.
What an ignorant statement...
It was a joke.
But no, I don't believe it's controlled with a touch screen. Though it is "daring" shall we say... to make a plane with no cockpit windows.
In commercial airliners, nearly the entire flight is now closely monitored and controlled by redundant computer systems. And the pilots rarely use the front window, they mostly fly by instrument.
Cameras as the cockpit windows aren't really that crazy at this point. Really glass cockpits are a formality.
Glass cockpit is a specific term for flight decks that have replaced analog gauges with digital gauges and screens.
Pilots use the windows all of the time. They use it to look for traffic and for vfr approaches.
You don’t need any aeronautical experience to fly it, but you need a 28” waist.
“Across both teams, talented, dedicated, and passionate scientists, engineers, and production artisans have collaborated to develop and produce this aircraft,” said John Clark, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.
What the hell is a production artisan?
Someone with the skills and knowledge to "manually" produce some of the many one-off parts that went into this prototype.
The scientists and engineers may know what kind of part is needed, but it takes a different skillset to produce it.
Yep. Yes. Ahuh... According to my notes this is what we needed...
Flying hypodermic needle.
There is zero need to revive SSTs. We need to focus on slow transport using renewable energy.
You can use sailboats if you want, no one is stopping you
But does the snoot droop
Reminds me of a pterosaur somehow.
Considering that splitting supersonic shockwaves in the air is kind of analogous to splitting the water when plunge-diving for fish (which at least some pterosaurids are hypothesized to have done), that makes sense.
Imagine dying because you got shish kabobbed by that thing.
My great uncle said he hoped for a quiet death.
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