James Less, NASA research project pilot for the newly unveiled X-59, will speak at the meeting of Plane Crazy Saturday at 11 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2024. It is Historical Aircraft Display Day at “Rutan Field” Mojave Air & Spaceport. Attendees can get their Historical Aircraft Display forms signed.
Less will speak about the X-59, the centerpiece of NASA’s QueSST mission (Quiet Supersonic Flight Over Land).
Less is a research pilot and aerospace engineer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. Prior to joining NASA, he was an U.S. Air Force officer and pilot for nearly 21 years. Upon graduating from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, he flew F-111 aircraft at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico and the F-117 Stealth Fighter at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
The X-59, which had its rollout on Jan. 12 Plant 42, is designed to demonstrate the ability to fly supersonic, or faster than Mach 1, while reducing the loud sonic boom to a quiet sonic thump.
NASA will then fly the X-59 over several communities to gather data on human responses to the sound generated during supersonic flight. NASA will deliver that data set to U.S. and international regulators to possibly enable commercial supersonic flight over land.
NASA hopes the ban on commercial supersonic flight over land can be lifted by replacing the loud sonic boom with a softer sonic “thump.”
A sonic boom happens when the shock waves from an object traveling through the air faster than the speed of sound merge together before they reach the ground. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, about 110 decibels, like the sound of an explosion or a thunderclap.
Fly in and visit with other pilots and show off your airplane to visitors who love aviation. The presentation is at 11a.m. in the MASP Board Room and seating is limited. RSVP at info@mojavemuseum.org
The Static Historic Aircraft Display will be from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Free admission. Mojave Air and Spaceport at ‘Rutan Field’
1434 Flightline, Mojave, CA 93501
Transient Parking Area – By Old Tower
KMHV – TWR 127.6 WX AWOS-3 (132.225) (661.824.5218) Ground 123.9 Joshua Approach 133.65
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMHV or www.mojaveairport.com
Fly in or drive in www.mojavemuseum.org