Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST
The Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST is a NASA experimental aircraft built to make supersonic flight sound like a soft thump rather than a disruptive sonic boom. Its extraordinarily long, slender nose shapes shock waves before they reach the ground. The pilot cannot see directly forward through a conventional windscreen, so NASA uses an external vision system instead. The X-59 is intended to provide data that could eventually change rules limiting supersonic flight over land.
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Did you know?
The X-59's long, slender nose is shaped to soften a sonic boom into a quiet thump, and its pilot sees forward only through cameras.
Specifications
| Length | 30 m (98 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Height | 4.3 m (14 ft) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Range | 2,500 NM (4,630 km) |
| Maximum speed | 800 kt (1,482 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 55,000 ft (16,764 m) |
| Engines | 1x General Electric F414-GE-100 |
| Units built | 1 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the X-59 QueSST family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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