Supersonic Aircraft

Legislation would require FAA to develop new rules for civil aircraft exceeding Mach 1.

Company targets quieter, faster long-haul flights.

Stratolaunch has conducted the first separation release test using its TA-0 Talon-A test vehicle and Roc carrier aircraft. The flight launched from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base and lasted for 4 hours and 8 minutes. According to the company, the test demonstrated that the Talon-A launch system “can cleanly and safely separate hypersonic vehicles from […]

NASA has announced that the final installation of the tail assembly on its X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) research aircraft is complete. The work took place at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, where the aircraft returned a year ago following a series of tests in Fort Worth, Texas. The X-59 is expected to […]

In preparation for the first flight of its Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) research aircraft, NASA is testing upgraded camera technology designed to capture better images of shockwaves created by supersonic aircraft. In addition to the updated equipment, the agency noted that it is also continuing to refine its use of Schlieren photography, a process that […]

NASA announced this week that the engine for its X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) research aircraft has been installed. Installation of the engine, a F414-GE-100 from General Electric Aviation, was completed at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. The X-59, which was designed to “reduce the sound of sonic booms … to a […]

Stratolaunch announced the public debut of its first structurally complete Talon-A test vehicle on Thursday. While this version, TA-0, will not be powered in flight, future Talon-As are expected to be capable of carrying customizable payloads at speeds above Mach 5, eventually serving as fully reusable hypersonic test vehicles. The model is designed to be […]

NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) research aircraft has returned to Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, following the completion of a series of ground tests in Fort Worth, Texas. While at the Texas facility, structural and fuel calibration tests were completed on the aircraft in preparation for final integration and taxi testing back […]

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a contract to Boom Supersonic aimed at accelerating research and development for the company’s Overture supersonic airliner model. Granted through the AFVentures arm of the Air Force’s AFWERX program, the Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract covers three years and is valued at up to $60 million. The Air Force […]

NASA and Lockheed Martin have removed the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) research aircraft from its jig system and are moving toward final assembly, according to a recent announcement from NASA. Part of the agency’s low-boom flight demonstration mission, the goal of the X-59 QueSST design is to reduce “the loudness of a sonic boom […]