X-59 sonic boom demonstration performance

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is building the X-59 Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) for NASA’s quiet boom testing program. To determine the acceptability of quiet booms on (predominantly indoor) observers, the X-59 vehicle to designed to produce shaped booms representative of transports employing this technology. During a flight, the vehicle is designed for two steady, level passes between Mach 1.4 to 1.5, covering 50 nm in length and 30 + nm (std. day) in boom carpet width. Boom loudness from 75 to 90 PLdB can be selected for each pass by variations in Altitude, Mach or trimmed control deflections. Quieter boom from 70 to 75 PLdB can be produced in a gentle turn up to 8° degrees in bank angle. Phase 1 of the LBFD program covers design, fabrication, ground test and flight safety demonstration. The first wind tunnel boom test of a 19 in. X-59 model is planned for later this year. Beginning 2023, Phase 2 plans to validate the X-59 boom loudness with in-flight and ground measurements. Phase 3 plans to demonstrate varied quiet boom exposures at several sites in the USA.