Wind-Tunnel Tests Validate Low-Boom X-59 Computational Fluid Dynamics

schlieren image of X-59 model at Mach 1.4 in a NASA wind tunnel
These supersonic shock patterns show remarkable agreement between the schlieren image at Mach 1.4 in a NASA wind tunnel (left) and the earlier CFD prediction (right). Note the reduced intensity shocks from lower-surface and airflow disruption from the blocked inlet on the model.
Credit: NASA Glenn Research Center
Reducing the sonic boom of a supersonic aircraft to a low-amplitude thump is the key to unlocking access to unconstrained overland high-speed flight and, along with it, a sustainable faster-than-sound civil aircraft market, NASA says. But the development of low-boom aircraft faces significant...

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