NASA wants to fly an F-15 in the wake of the X-59’s supersonic shock wave

For years, Futura has been reporting on the progress of the Air Force’s X-59 aircraft project. NasaNasa launched in 2016. With its neznez very elongated and flattened, theaéronefaéronef is supposed to be able to pass Mach 1, beyond the wall of soundwall of soundgenerating only a weak detonation. According to the space agency, it should be no louder than a car door slamming. carcar. With this technology, the idea is to succeed in reintroducing civil supersonic flights on American territory. Due to the strong explosions when passing the sound barrier, these have been prohibited since 1974.

In its design, the X-59 is supposed to deflect the shock wave upwards. It remains to be seen whether the computer simulation can be verified in reality, because the X-59 has not yet made its maiden flight. And precisely, to be able to measure the shock wave generated by the vitessevitesse of the X-59, NASA plans to accompany the demonstratordemonstrator with an F-15B fighter plane equipped with two special probes.

The X-59 demonstrator was unveiled last January. © NASA

In the wake of the X-59

These probes are conical and have five holes: one at the tip and the others around the conecone. THE sensorssensors will measure changes in pressionpression static when the F-15B passes through the shockwave of the X-59. These thousands of pressure samples collected will allow us to learn more about the direction of flow ofairairits pressure and its speed, and to validate the theory or improve it. This means that the F-15B will have to be in the close wake of the X-59.

For this, the probe positioned at the end of a long pole of 1.80 meters will be positioned at the end of the nose of this F-15. It will be used to capture waves near the aircraft at an altitude of approximately 16,700 meters. The other probe will be used for a separate mission. It will make it possible to record the characteristics of air flows at altitudes between 1,500 and 6,100 meters under the X-59.

For the moment, NASA is not yet at the stage of supersonic flight for its demonstrator. She only started the X-59’s engines a month ago. On the other hand, while waiting for the maiden flight, the organization plans to test the probes with two F-15s at supersonic speed, one in the wake of the other.