Industrials | National Investor Network

Is a "Quiet" Supersonic Aircraft on the Horizon?

Written by Jeffrey Richmond | Jul 17, 2019 3:57:40 PM

Absolutely, if Lockheed Martin has its way—it is developing a Quiet Supersonic Technology Airliner (QSTA).

Since the Concorde went out of service more than 15 years ago, there has been no Super Sonic Transport (SST) in operation, but the Skunk Works division of Lockheed Martin is developing the X-59 test aircraft for NASA.

Michael Buonanno, Lockheed Martin's lead engineer on the X-59, says the “demand is absolutely there. The reason this capability doesn’t exist is some uncertainty about what future regulations will look like."

Being “quiet” will determine the success of any SST aircraft program.