Page 7 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2016 Online Magazine

FEATURE QUESST

SINCE THE CONCORd TOOk ITS LAST technologies and designs that could lead
flight in 2003, there have been hopes of to aircraft that substantially reduce fuel
supersonic travel becoming a reality again. consumption, emissions and noise.
The gap left by the retirement of the Anglo- “The Nasa aeronautics New Aviation
French project could probably be filled Horizons initiative is a 10-year plan developed
with a “low-boom” supersonic passenger to achieve those goals by designing, building
aircraft programme initiated by the National and flying a number of flight demonstration
Aeronautics and Space Agency (Nasa). vehicles, or X-planes,” says Jaiwon Shin,
Nasa’s Commercial Supersonic NASA Aeronautics Associate Administrator.
Technology Project has given the go-ahead Experimental aircraft test advanced
for preliminary designs of an aircraft that technologies and revolutionary designs
can fly at supersonic speeds, creating a and reduce the time it takes for industry to
supersonic “heartbeat” - a soft thump rather incorporate them into commercial products.
than the disruptive boom, a loud noise “This is the first in a series of “X-planes”
caused by current aircraft traveling faster in Nasa’s New Aviation Horizons initiative,
than the speed of sound. introduced in the agency’s fiscal year 2017
A contract was awarded in February to a budget,” Shin says.
team led by Lockheed Martin to complete a QueSST aims to fix something the X-1 first
preliminary design for the Quiet Supersonic introduced to the flying world nearly 70 years
Technology (QueSSt). Lockheed Martin ago - the publicly annoying loud sonic boom.
would receive about US$20 million over Nasa says recent research has shown it
17 months for the preliminary design work is possible for a supersonic airplane to be
of QueSSt. If schedule and Congressional shaped in such a way that the shock waves
funding holds, this new supersonic X-plane it forms when flying faster than the speed
could fly in the 2020 timeframe. of sound generate a sonic boom so quiet it
“The company will develop baseline hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all.
aircraft requirements and a preliminary “We know the concept is going to work,
aircraft design, with specifications, and but now the best way to continue our
provide supporting documentation for research is to demonstrate the capability to
concept formulation and planning,” a Nasa the public with an X-plane,” says Peter Coen,
spokesperson says. Nasa’s supersonic project manager.
“This documentation will be used to
prepare for the detailed design, building and Nasa’s Commercial Supersonic Technology
testing of the QueSST jet. Performance of Project has given the go-ahead for
this preliminary design also must undergo preliminary designs of an aircraft that
analytical and wind tunnel validation,” he can fly at supersonic speeds, creating
notes. a supersonic “heartbeat” - a soft thump
rather than the disruptive boom, a loud
Nasa’s initiative could redefine current noise caused by current aircraft traveling
airplanes by building confidence in new faster than the speed of sound

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