X-59 Model Tested in Japanese Supersonic Wind Tunnel

Researchers from NASA and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently tested a model of scale of the X-59 experimental plane in a supersonic blower located in Chofu, Japan, to assess audible noise under the plane.

The test was an important step for the unique X-59 of NASA, which is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound without causing a strong sound boom.

When the X -59 flies, the sound below – the result of its pressure signature – will be a critical factor for what people hear in the field.

The X-59 measures 99.7 feet long, with a wingspan of 29.7 feet. The Jaxa blower, on the other hand, measures a little more than 3 feet long by 3 feet wide.

Thus, the researchers used a model put on the scale at only 1.62% of the real aircraft – about 19 inches of the tail nose. They exposed it to conditions imitating the planned supersonic cruising speed of Plan X of 1.4, or approximately 925 miles per hour.

The series of tests carried out at Jaxa allowed NASA researchers to bring together critical experimental data to compare to their forecasts derived by modeling of calculation fluids, which include the way the air will circulate around the plane.

This marked the third cycle of bellows tests for the X-59 model, after a previous test in Jaxa and the Glenn Research Center of NASA in Ohio.

Data will help researchers understand the noise level that will be created by shock waves produced by the X-59 at supersonic speeds.

The shock waves of traditional supersonic planes generally merge together, producing a strong sound boom. The unique design of the X-59 works to prevent shock waves from merge, will lead to a quieter sounds.

The X-59 was built in Palmdale, California, at the entrepreneur Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and is undergoing end-to-his historic ground for his first historic flight this year.

The Quesst of NASA mission aims to change the future of silent supersonic trips using the X-59. The experimental plane allows the Quesst team to bring together public comments on acceptable sound levels for a silent supersonic flight.

Thanks to the development of the X-59 by Quesst, NASA will provide design tools and technology for silent supersonic line planes which will reach the high speeds desired by commercial operators without creating disturbance for people in the field.