NASA's X-59 has successfully completed a critical engine test, clearing another technical hurdle. The test confirmed that the F414-GE-100 engine modified from the F-18 Super Hornet performed as expected at full power.
The aircraft's design, including its unique overhead engines and elongated nose, is designed to dampen sonic booms. As NASA prepares for its first flight, more testing will ensure the aircraft can operate safely.
NASA's X-59 silent supersonic research aircraft has successfully completed a series of engine performance tests, another milestone on its path to flight.
In preparation for the X-59's planned first flight this year, NASA and Lockheed Martin conducted and completed engine operational testing in January. The aircraft is powered by modified F414-GE-100 engines, which also support its integrated subsystems. The engine achieved expected performance during three increasingly complex tests at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, Calif., from October to January.
"We successfully completed ground testing of the engine as planned with no major obstructions," said Raymond Kastner, X-59 thruster lead at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. "We achieved smooth, smooth airflow as predicted by wind tunnel testing and did not encounter any structural or excessive vibration issues. The engine and parts of the aircraft that needed cooling were cooled."
In preparation for the X-59's planned first flight this year, NASA and Lockheed Martin successfully completed the aircraft's engine operating tests in January. Testing includes electrical, hydraulic and environmental control systems. Source: NASA Glenn Research Center
Testing begins by understanding how the aircraft's hydraulic, electrical and environmental control systems perform when the engines are powered but idling. The team then performed a throttle check, turning the aircraft to maximum power and firing the afterburner, an engine component that generates extra thrust, to maximum.
The third test is throttle pull, which involves moving the throttle quickly back and forth to verify that the engine responds immediately. The engine can produce up to 22,000 pounds of thrust and achieve an ideal cruise speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet.
The X-59's engines are similar to those on the U.S. Navy's F-18 Super Hornet and are mounted on top of the aircraft to reduce noise levels reaching the ground. Many of the X-59's features, including its 38-foot-long nose, are designed to reduce the noise of a sonic boom to a mere "thud," similar to the sound of a nearby car door slamming.
NASA's X-59 Silent Supersonic Research Aircraft completed its first maximum afterburn test at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. During this full-power test, the engine produced additional thrust, validating the additional power required to meet aircraft test conditions. The X-59 is at the center of NASA's Quest mission, which aims to overcome a major obstacle to supersonic flight over land by reducing sonic boom noise. Image credit: Lockheed Martin/Gary Tice
Before its first flight, the X-59 will undergo several key tests. Engineers will assess the aircraft's potential for electromagnetic interference and conduct "aluminum bird" testing, which involves feeding data to the aircraft under normal and malfunction conditions. In addition, a series of taxi tests and final preparations will be carried out to ensure the aircraft is ready for takeoff.
The X-59 is at the center of NASA's Quest mission, which aims to overcome one of the biggest challenges of commercial supersonic travel - reducing the damaging noise of sonic booms to quieter, more controllable levels.
Compiled from /scitechdaily