This Jet By NASA Can Fly At Supersonic Speeds Without A Windshield

The last time a civilian airliner flew supersonic was in 2003. Since then, only military and scientific jets have been able to break the sound barrier. The Concorde was among the first civilian jets to reach supersonic speeds, but it was retired due to multiple reasons.

The Concorde's main problem was the sonic boom it produced when it broke the sound barrier. The sonic boom was loud enough to shatter the nearby glass windows on ground, and hence, the jet was restricted to flying supersonic over vast masses of the ocean only.

This Jet Flies At Supersonic Speeds Without A Windshield© Reuters

Now, a new concept jet by NASA and Lockheed Martin aims to solve this problem with a unique solution. 

NASA's x-59 supersonic jet is set to receive a bizarre design feature with no front-facing window despite the fact it will travel at supersonic speeds. The cabin will be completely enclosed and instead of a glass cockpit, a 4K monitor will be used along with a set of two front facing cameras.

NASA released an image of the cockpit of the X-59 (also known as QueSST) that shows three displays at the front of the cockpit, one directly in the line of sight for the pilot and two others just beneath.

This Jet Flies At Supersonic Speeds Without A Windshield© NASA

The plane does have windows, just to be clear. The cockpit will have an over-the-top window canopy that will give a substantial field of view on either side and above the aircraft.

The creators hope the new design will not produce a sonic boom and can smash through the sound barrier quieter than a traditional supersonic plane. NASA has also given it a very long nose, 50-feet to be precise.

This Jet Flies At Supersonic Speeds Without A Windshield© NASA

Currently, the aircraft is being produced for NASA as a demonstration for civilian regulators to assess and develop new standards for supersonic aircraft that want to be certified for travel over land. The whole point of this aircraft is to see if NASA can gather data that show that supersonic flight can be quiet enough to be acceptable over land.

If NASA and Lockheed successfully overturn current regulations, they'd bring the first commercially operable supersonic plane to market since the Concorde, which retired in 2003.

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Photo: © NASA (Main Image)

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