Defense Daily reported that on January 12, NASA and Skunk Works “rolled out the X-59 ‘quiet’ supersonic demonstrator aircraft in Palmdale, Calif.” FlightGlobal reports that during the “roll-out ceremony at Lockheed’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, the sleek, single-engine jet was hailed by its developers as a potentially ‘revolutionary’ step forward that could unlock commercial supersonic flights over populated areas.” Pam Melroy, NASA’s deputy administrator, said, “As we unveil this technological marvel, it’s really important to understand the profound impact the X-59 holds for the aviation industry. … Today, supersonic flight brings a thunderous boom. It is restricted across populated areas for good reason. And the X-59 is going to break that barrier.”
Full Story (Defense Daily); More Info (FlightGlobal)
Tag: Palmdale
General Atomics’ XQ-67A Makes First Flight
Defense One reports, “General Atomics’ new air combat drone has flown, another step toward what the Air Force is calling the ‘first of a second generation’ of autonomous aircraft.” First flight occurred February 28 from “General Atomics’ Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility near Palmdale California, AFRL officials announced.”
Full Story (Defense One)
Video
General Atomics introduces its XQ-67A
(General Atomics; YouTube)
X-59 Supersonic Aircraft Arrives at Palmdale for Assembly
SPACE reports that NASA’s new “X-59 supersonic jet arrived this month at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale for assembly, ahead of a flight test expected this year.” NASA said April 18, “With its return to California, the X-59 will undergo further ground tests as it approaches full completion of its development and continues to make progress on its way to first flight.”
Full Story (SPACE)