As part of the preparations for the X-59’s anticipated first flight this year, NASA and Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the engine run tests for the aircraft in January. The engine, a modified F414-GE-100, which powers the aircraft’s flight and integrated subsystems, met expectations during three progressively complex tests conducted from October to January at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.
“We have successfully progressed through our engine ground tests as we planned,” said Raymond Castner, X-59 propulsion lead at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “We had no major showstoppers. We were getting smooth and steady airflow as predicted from wind tunnel testing. We didn’t have any structural or excessive vibration issues. And parts of the engine and aircraft that needed cooling were getting it.”
The tests started by evaluating the performance of the aircraft's hydraulic, electrical, and environmental control systems with the engine running at idle. The team subsequently conducted throttle checks, advancing the aircraft to full power and engaging its afterburner—an engine component that provides extra thrust—to its maximum capacity.
A third test, known as throttle snaps, entailed rapidly moving the throttle back and forth to ensure the engine responds immediately. The engine generates up to 22,000 pounds of thrust to reach a cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of about 55,000 feet.
The X-59's engine, akin to those on the U.S. Navy's F-18 Super Hornet, is positioned on top of the aircraft to minimize the noise reaching the ground. Various aspects of the X-59, such as its 38-foot-long nose, are engineered to diminish the noise of a sonic boom to a simple "thump," comparable to the sound of a nearby car door closing.
The upcoming steps before the maiden flight involve assessing the X-59 for possible electromagnetic interference impacts and conducting "aluminium bird" testing, where data will be input into the aircraft under both normal and failure scenarios. Additionally, a series of taxi tests and other preparations will occur before the first flight.
The X-59 is central to NASA's Quest mission, aiming to address a key obstacle to commercial supersonic flight over land by reducing the noise of sonic booms.
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