The team responsible for NASA’s X-59 silent supersonic aircraft is making significant progress in preparing for the plane’s first flight. This includes a series of crucial structural tests and critical inspections leading up to the flight.
The X-59 is an experimental aircraft designed to fly faster than the speed of sound but without the loud sonic boom. It will be the first of its kind to fly, with the goal of collecting sound data for NASA’s Quesst mission (Quiet Supersonic Technology), which could pave the way for future commercial supersonic flights over land.
Due to its unique design, the X-59 engineering team must anticipate every aspect of the aircraft’s performance before it takes off, including how its fuselage, wings, and control surfaces will behave together in flight. This requires conducting ground tests to provide the team with the necessary data to validate their models.
“These tests not only tell us how structurally sound the aircraft is, but also what kinds of forces it can withstand once it’s in the air,” said Walt Silva, Senior Research Scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the X-59’s structures lead.
The structural tests of the X-59 provide the team with valuable feedback. From 2022 to 2024, engineers gathered data on the forces the aircraft will experience in flight and the potential effects of vibrations on the plane.
“You conduct these tests, get the data, and sometimes things match up well, and other times you find areas for improvement,” said Silva. “Then you work on making those improvements.”
Earlier this year, the X-59 underwent structural coupling tests that moved its control surfaces, including ailerons, flaps, and rudder, by computer control. This was the last of three critical structural tests.
In 2023, engineers applied “shakers” to parts of the aircraft to assess its response to vibrations, and in early 2022, they conducted a proof test to ensure the plane could absorb the forces it will encounter during flight.
This year, the X-59’s ejection seat was installed and inspected. The ejection seat is a crucial safety measure for the pilot throughout all phases of the flight.
With the structural tests and the installation of the ejection seat completed, the aircraft is moving towards a new milestone: powering up its engines for a series of ground tests.
Additionally, the X-59 will undergo tests on its avionics and extensive wiring for potential electromagnetic interference, simulating flight conditions in a ground test environment. Finally, taxi tests will be conducted to validate ground mobility before the first flight.
“First flights are always very intense,” said Natalie Spivey, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “There’s a lot to be done beforehand, but we’re ready to get there and see how the aircraft responds in the air. It’s going to be very exciting.”
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