NASA’s Silent Supersonic Aircraft: X-59 Quesst and Features

The supersonic aircraft X-59, developed in cooperation with NASA and Lockheed Martin, was introduced within the scope of the Quesst mission, which aims to reduce sound pollution.

The plane will have a sound level that will not disturb people even when passing directly above them. So, what are the features of this aircraft named X-59 Quesst? When will it start flying? Here are the details!

NASA X-59 Quesst Features

• X-59 Quesst has a special design developed to minimize the noise generated during flight.
• The fuselage length of the aircraft is 30.4 meters, and approximately 10 meters of it constitutes the nose section.
• Since the pilot’s cabin is behind the nose, it is located near the middle of the plane. This makes outside vision impossible.
• Since there is no natural view, the flight is carried out with high-resolution external cameras. Since there is no view in the pilot cabin, there is no glass.
• Reaching a maximum speed of 1715 km/h, the aircraft will be twice as fast as cruise aircraft compared to current jet aircraft.
• It will remain at a lower speed compared to Concorde’s cruise speeds.
• When we look at the exterior design of the aircraft, we see that the NASA logo stands out clearly. There are red stripes on the wings.
• It is expected to pioneer easy and quiet flights at supersonic speed.

First Flight of the NASA X-59 Quest

The X-59, which is expected to make its first flight later in 2024, will be subjected to some tests until this period. After the ground equipment and flight systems pass certain tests, the vehicle will taxi on the take-off runway. Test flights will be carried out before the first flight, which is planned to take place towards the summer months.

For this purpose, some American cities will be specifically selected. Thanks to noise sensors placed on the ground, data on in-flight experiences will be collected. This data will be forwarded to regulatory authorities.

According to the shared data, one of the main factors that prevent the progress of supersonic civil aviation is breaking the sound barrier and the high level of noise created by the engine during flight.

In NASA’s statement about X-59, it is stated that the level of this vehicle breaking the sound barrier will be equivalent to the sound of a car door closing for humans.

In light of this information, it is thought that the X-59 will make a significant contribution to the development of supersonic civil aviation.