NASA's 'quiet' supersonic jet completes first flight in potential... breakthrough for commercial air travel | Morgan Phillips, Fox News X-59 aircraft designed to reduce sonic boom to a 'thump' could revolutionize commercial aviation A new "quiet" supersonic X-59 jet designed to revolutionize air travel successfully completed its first test flight, Lockheed Martin announced this week. The sleek, needle-point aircraft built for NASA is designed to break the sound barrier while reducing the sonic boom to a "thump," according to the aerospace contractor. The aircraft aims to overcome one of the major hurdles to supersonic travel, which is noise restrictions over land. The plane took off from Palmdale, Calif., at Skunk Works' facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42, accompanied by a NASA chase plane. It landed safely about an hour later at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. The plane’s unique shape is designed to greatly lower the volume of the sonic boom typically produced when a plane breaks the sound barrier. The long, pointed nose prevents adequate forward-facing visibility, so the pilot flies relying on a monitor in the cockpit. NASA has paid Lockheed over $500 million since 2018 to develop the plane. The plane, which measures just under 100 feet nose to tail, flew at subsonic speeds on its first flight, around 230 mph and reached 12,000 feet. The plane is built to eventually reach a cruising speed of 925 mph, or Mach 1.4, and fly at an altitude of 55,000 feet. "This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development," OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said in a statement. "X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The American spirit knows no bounds. It's part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. This work sustains America's place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies," said Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator. The supersonic Concorde aircraft, developed by France and the U.K., began transatlantic flights in 1976, reached max speeds of over 1,300 mph and flew passengers from New York to London in just 3.5 hours. But high operating costs meant ticket costs were about four times higher than a standard first-class ticket, and the supersonic boom meant the plane could only fly at such high speeds over water. A crash in 2000 deeply affected public confidence in the plane, and it was retired in 2003. NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities in the coming years, gathering public feedback that could help regulators update decades-old bans on supersonic flight over land. If successful, the data could open the door for a new generation of commercial jets capable of cutting cross-country flight times in half — bringing back supersonic travel for the first time in more than two decades, but this time with far less noise.show more

🇺🇸 Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and NASA are pushing... the X-59 closer to its first supersonic flight. The sleek experimental jet is hitting new speeds and altitudes in latest tests, all while designed to produce a much quieter sonic boom. The American’s goal is to finally make overland supersonic travel possible without the deafening boom that’s kept it banned for decades.show more

🚨 NASA’S X-59 JUST BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER AND... IT DID IT QUIETLY. For decades, supersonic flight over land has been banned in most countries because of the loud sonic boom it creates. NASA’s experimental X-59 is trying to change that. The aircraft, developed with Lockheed Martin, is shaped in a very specific way to reshape the shockwaves that form during supersonic flight. Instead of a loud, window-rattling boom, it’s designed to produce a much softer “thump” that reaches the ground. In its first supersonic flight, the X-59 reached Mach 1.1 while testing this quiet sonic boom technology. Why this matters: • If successful, it could reopen the possibility of supersonic passenger flights over populated areas • Current supersonic jets (like the retired Concorde) were too loud for overland routes • The X-59 doesn’t carry passengers — it’s a flying testbed for the technology • Quieter supersonic flight could dramatically cut long-distance travel times in the future The deeper implication: This isn’t just about going faster. It’s about removing one of the biggest barriers that has kept supersonic travel from becoming practical for regular people. For over 50 years, the sonic boom has been the main reason we’ve been stuck flying at subsonic speeds on most routes. If NASA and its partners can prove that a shaped aircraft can turn a loud boom into a gentle thump, it could fundamentally change how we think about long-distance air travel in the coming decades. We may be watching the return of supersonic flight just much quieter this time. Do you think quiet supersonic passenger planes will become a reality in your lifetime? Follow for more frontier aerospace and aviation technology.show more

Step one: break the sound barrier.✔️ The X-59 has... officially flown at supersonic speeds for the first time, marking a major step forward on the path to quieting the sonic boom. Even faster and quieter flights are coming soon.show more

Skunk Works® and NASA are pushing the envelope, flying... the X-59 faster and higher than ever before with its latest round of flight tests, ramping up towards its first supersonic flight.show more

Shockwaves never looked so smooth Ames researchers created a... supercomputer simulation of the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft to analyze the vehicle's potential performance. The dark and bright regions represent shockwaves and pressure variations. Weaker shockwaves spread from the lower surface of the aircraft, resulting in reduced noise at ground level. Video credit: NASA Ames/ Marina Nemec, Patrick Moranshow more

A Southwest Airlines flight from Burbank, California, safely landed... in Las Vegas after performing an emergency maneuver to avoid colliding with another aircraft on Friday. Minutes after Southwest flight 1496 took off from Burbank, it rapidly descended 475 feet to avoid hitting another plane — dropping from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet, according to flight tracking data and passenger accounts. The other aircraft was identified as a Hawk Hunter with the N-number "N335AX," which was at approximately 14,653 feet when the Southwest flight had to make its emergency descent. Southwest airlines said in a statement, "The Crew of Southwest Flight 1496 responded to two onboard traffic alerts Friday afternoon while climbing out of Burbank, Cal., requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts. The flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully. Southwest is engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances. No injuries were immediately reported by Customers, but two Flight Attendants are being treated for injuries. We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and Flight Attendants in responding to this event. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees."show more

The making of the Airbus A380 - building the... world's largest passenger aircraft The Airbus A380 was designed to move more passengers farther and quieter than any aircraft before it. Its development brought together engineering teams from across Europe to create a true aviation giant. Major sections of the A380 are manufactured in different countries. The wings are built in the United Kingdom, the fuselage sections in Germany and France, the cockpit and nose in France, and the horizontal tail plane in Spain. These massive components are transported by Beluga aircraft, ships, and special road convoys to the final assembly line in Toulouse, France ملم The A380 uses advanced aluminum alloys and composite materials to handle extreme structural loads while keeping weight under control. Its wings are the largest ever fitted to a passenger aircraft, designed to flex several meters upward in flight without damage. Inside, the aircraft features a full-length double-deck cabin, advanced fly-by-wire systems, and one of the most complex electrical and hydraulic architectures ever installed on a civil airliner After assembly, each A380 undergoes extensive ground tests, system checks, and flight testing to certify performance, safety, and reliability before entering airline serviceshow more

After taking off at 10:54 a.m. PDT, NASA's quiet... supersonic X-59 aircraft returned prematurely following a return-to-base call. The pilot and aircraft landed safely and successfully. More information is forthcoming.show more

🚨🇨🇳CHINA TESTS NEW "SPACE CAPABLE" FIGHTER JET Forget drones... over New Jersey; China is upping the stakes with the maiden flight of its latest jet, codenamed the Baidi or White Emperor. The 6th generation jet is designed to be an "integrated space-air fighter" that can fly at supersonic speeds and operate in space. It has a tailless design and diamond-shaped wings and is equipped with advanced avionics and stealth features. The Baidi also has a large internal weapons bay to carry more air-to-ground munitions without compromising stealth. Source: Clash Reportshow more

Raw thrust, pure legacy. The General Electric J79 is... a military turbojet built for speed, power, and high-altitude performance. Air is compressed, mixed with fuel, and ignited to produce high-energy exhaust gases that drive the turbine and exit at extreme velocity, generating thrust. With an afterburner system, additional fuel is injected into the exhaust stream, delivering a massive boost in thrust when needed. Designed to power legendary aircraft like the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, it became known for its high thrust-to-weight ratio and distinctive performance in supersonic flight. Its robust design and ability to operate under extreme conditions made it a cornerstone of early jet combat technology. Built for speed. Proven in the skies.show more

On December 20, 1989, Lockheed Skunk Works head Ben... Rich arranged a final farewell flight of the SR-71 Blackbird (#972) over the Burbank and Palmdale facilities as a tribute to employees and the legendary designer Kelly Johnson. Rich secretly arranged for Johnson to watch the flyby from a limousine. The flyby was designed as a touching, morale-boosting salute for the Lockheed Advanced Development Projects team as Congress debated the impending retirement of the iconic spy plane. Piloted by Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Tom Fuhrman, the aircraft flew from Beale Air Force Base to execute low-level passes over the Skunk Works headquarters in Burbank and Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, giving the workforce a chance to see the magnificent machine roar overhead. Ben Rich famously took Johnson—who was in declining health at the time—in a chauffeur-driven limousine from the hospital so he could witness his creation one last time. As the SR-71 thundered in, Johnson looked up, and Rich noted a single tear of joy and happiness running down the aviation pioneer’s cheek. Kelly Johnson died almost one year later December 21, 1991 he said that he did not believe anyone would ever break the SR 71‘s record. So far no one has..#blackbirdshow more

A 6-ton-class tiltrotor aircraft, named the Lanying R6000 and... independently developed by the Chinese company United Aircraft, successfully completed its maiden flight in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Sunday, the Global Times learned. According to the company, it is the world’s first aircraft of its kind. This “flying car” is expected to serve point-to-point air commuting.show more

😱 Passengers watch Artemis II blast off from commercial... plane People on a commercial flight were treated to a unique view of the launch of Nasa's first crewed mission to the Moon in half a century. Delta Airlines Flight 1784 flight was travelling from Costa Rica to Atlanta when passengers caught a glimpse of Wednesday evening's blast off.show more

Thousands of Airbus A320 airliners around the world might... require a software update, potentially causing flight delays or cancellations during the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Airbus identified an apparent issue relating to "intense solar radiation," which "may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls" and recommended an emergency software update to the A320 family of aircraft – a common passenger plane for U.S. carriers. This emergency update stems from an incident Oct. 30 when a JetBlue flight traveling from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, experienced an issue with its flight controls. The plane dropped about 100 feet in seven seconds, according to preliminary flight data from Flightradar24, and was diverted to Tampa, Florida.show more

In January, we delivered our second aircraft to DoD... customers at Edwards Air Force Base. This historic lakebed is where Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, and where the Enterprise space shuttle prototype completed a series of approach and landing flight trials. It's an honor for us to conduct testing of our electric air taxi on this hallowed ground.show more

✈️🔥Tragedy in the skies over Argentina: Plane crashes at... air show A small aircraft plunged to the ground and burst into flames, killing its pilots. Argentine media report the crashed plane was not part of the main program of the festival taking place in Córdoba province.show more

A "plane crash" in Philadelphia has claimed the lives... of six people, including two doctors, two pilots, a patient, and a family member. The aircraft had just taken off from Northeast Philadelphia. Reports of body parts scattered at the scene. The plane is reportedly a Jet Rescue Air Ambulance aircraftshow more

.Southwest Airlines has commenced flying a B737Max with a... secondary barrier to the flight deck designed to prevent intrusions. This is the first such aircraft in their fleet. It's fascinating to see how the barrier works in this video. #AvGeekshow more

.Qatar Airways has positioned some of its aircraft at... selected #airports outside of #Doha as a temporary measure amid the current situation, the airline confirmed to Doha News on Sunday. In a statement, Qatar Airways said the #aircraft will return to service once the flight operations return to their normal levels, noting that it could not specify the total of planes parked abroad "due to the dynamic nature of the current operating environment". The comments came as reports and data, including by Flight Radar, pointed to around 20 Qatar Airways aircraft parking at #Spain's Teruel Airport, one of the largest an aircraft maintenance and storage facilities in #Europe.show more

Yesterday in Mumbai, an Air India and IndiGo flight... experienced a loss of separation when the Air India flight was cleared to depart and the IndiGo flight cleared to land. Here’s what the ADS-B data tells us about the proximity of the aircraft.show more