supersonic
Latest
Boom finds a new design partner for its Symphony supersonic jet engine
Overture test flights are now slated to start a year later than previously planned, but Boom still expects the supersonic jet to be certified for commercial flights in 2029.
Boom's supersonic jet is facing a lack of interest from engine suppliers
Boom may be in a bind with its supersonic Overture jet, as no jet engine manufacturers are interested in the project.
Quiet supersonic jet maker Aerion abruptly shuts down
Aerion has suddenly shut down, ending its dreams of building quiet supersonic business jets.
Boom unveils the XB-1, its supersonic testbed
The XB-1 could lead the way to the first civilian supersonic liner in half a century.
The Colorado startup dreaming up a return to supersonic flight
In less than 50 days, we'll see the test plane for a future supersonic airliner. In a year, we could see it fly for the first time. After that? Who knows.
NASA’s X-59 supersonic jet is cleared for final assembly
NASA's experimental X-59 jet, which could make supersonic commercial travel a reality, has been cleared for final assembly. The X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin, could take its first flight as soon as 2021.
Bloodhound will test its supersonic car in Africa this October
The Bloodhound supersonic car project might be all about getting from A to B as quickly as possible, but its journey to date has been anything but streamlined. Since the project was announced in 2008, it's been besieged with obstacles, and last year came within a hair's breadth of shutting down completely. Now, though, it's back on track, and its team has announced a new testing timeline.
NASA unveils stunning images of merging supersonic shockwaves
NASA has developed a new imaging technique that let them capture, for the first time, the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic jets. They were taken by a new, high-speed camera system developed to help NASA design a supersonic airplane that produces much quieter sonic booms. "We never dreamed that it would be this clear, this beautiful," said NASA physical scientist J.T. Heineck.
Bloodhound supersonic car project shuts down
Efforts to save the Bloodhound supersonic car project from bankruptcy haven't panned out. The team is shutting down after it was unsuccessful in securing the roughly £25 million (about $32 million) it needed from "potential and credible investors." As a result, the company is now planning to return third-party gear and sell off assets, including the car -- if you happen to have £250,000 ($318,000) sitting around, you could own a piece of automotive history. Don't expect to break records, though. Driver Andy Green warns that you'd need "a few million" to have Bloodhound SSC live up to its full potential.
NASA will publicly test quiet supersonic technology in November
You won't have to wonder what NASA's quiet supersonic technology sounds like in person -- if you live in the right part of Texas, that is. The administration plans to conduct a series of public tests around the coastal city of Galveston in November. The F/A-18 Hornet aircraft at the heart of the tests will perform dive maneuvers that produce louder sonic booms out at sea, while quieter sonic "thumps" will take place over Galveston proper. After that, "at least" 500 local volunteers will provide feedback on what they heard, while audio sensors will provide more definitive noise readings.
NASA explores ‘quiet’ supersonic flight over land
Today, NASA announced its latest X-plane experimental aircraft called the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD). The agency signed a contract to design the plane back in 2016; now it's ready to proceed with development and construction. If the LBFD is successful, it will be a testbed for quiet supersonic technology, and possibly allow for supersonic flights over land, getting passengers from New York to Los Angeles in just two hours.
NASA tests light, foldable plane wings for supersonic flights
Planes that can fold their wings to different angles while in the air have the potential to fly faster than their peers, and NASA has recently made headway into their development. The space agency has conducted a series of test flights proving that it can control the wings it designed to move into any position and that they have aerodynamic benefits. While the technology has existed for a long time, it typically requires the use of heavy hydraulic systems. NASA's version doesn't need that kind of machinery: it relies on the properties of a temperature-activated material called shape memory alloy instead. Upon being heated, the alloy activates a twisting motion in the tubes serving as the wings' actuator, moving the wings' outer portion up to 70 degrees upwards or downwards.
What we're buying: Dyson's Supersonic hair dryer
This month, Associate Editor Swapna Krishna is singing the praises of Dyson's advanced but pricey hair dryer. Compared with her old model, it's like night and day.
NASA will take images of its quiet supersonic jet's shockwaves
When NASA begins testing its supersonic jet, you won't only hear about it -- you'll see cool images from the experiments, too. The agency has recently completed a series of flight tests proving that the imaging technique it developed is capable of capturing the shockwaves NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) aircraft will make when it starts flying faster than the speed of sound.
Boom's supersonic jets get $10 million boost from Japan Airlines
Boom's plan to revive supersonic passenger jets just got an important financial boost. The startup has revealed that Japan Airlines is investing $10 million, and that the carrier also has the option of buying up to 20 of the company's faster-than-sound airliners. If it does, that would give Boom a total of 76 pre-orders, making the Concorde seem like a modest experiment. JAL has actually been working with Boom for "well over a year," Boom said, but the investment makes the alliance official.
NASA moves ahead with plans to build a quiet supersonic jet
NASA's dreams of a quiet supersonic jet are one step closer to fruition. The agency tells Bloomberg that it'll start taking bids to build a larger (94-foot) real-world demo version of the aircraft that it tunnel-tested in June, and we now have a clearer sense of how well it'll perform in real life. The design is expected to reduce noise to no more than 65dBa, which is exceptionally quiet for an aircraft -- co-designer Lockheed Martin likens it to the inside of a luxury car. That would make it safe to fly just about anywhere. The Concorde, by contrast, was an assault on your ears at 90dBa and was limited to overseas flights.
NASA starts wind tunnel tests for its quiet supersonic jet
NASA's plans for a quiet supersonic jet, the QueSST, just became tangible: the agency and Lockheed Martin have started wind tunnel tests for the future X-plane. It's a scale model at this stage, but it will be subjected to winds as high as Mach 1.6 (950MPH) to gauge both its aerodynamic performance as well as parts of its propulsion system. The tests should run until the middle of 2017.
Jets and mannequin heads: Just another day at Dyson's campus
Engadget tours around the Dyson HQ in Malmesbury, England.
ICYMI: Barely hoverbiking, new hair dryer tech and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-698312{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-698312, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-698312{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-698312").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: YouTuber Colin Furze teamed up with Ford to build a working hoverbike within just a few weeks, from his shed. It runs off of two diesel engines so granted, it's probably not the most mass-production friendly item, but does beg the question: What's holding everyone back, then?
Dyson's first beauty product is a hair dryer
Dyson teased its press event this week by sending out tiny, sharp motor parts to journalists (including this one). Now we get to see the rest of the thing. The company's first foray into beauty is, perhaps predictably, a hairdryer. The Supersonic, as it's called, has all the design hallmarks of a Dyson: It's circular and smooth, with a metallic finish and a splash of loud color. Compared to everything that's come before it, however, it's so... small.
