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Fast Company

How NASA’s X-59 recycled decades-old plane parts to make silent supersonic flight possible

Fast Company
Summary
Nutrition label

67% Informative

Lockheed Martin’s X-59 Quesst experimental aircraft has fired up its engine for the first time.

The first engine run began on October 30, 2024 , at the Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale , California .

The engine is the same power plant used in the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet.

By repurposing the F414 -GE-100 engine and many other key components “stolen” from other airplanes, the team cut down on development time.

NASA ’s new silent supersonic aircraft doesn’t have a front cockpit, instead relying on a digital cockpit that uses displays and cameras.

The control stick and rudder pedals are taken from the famous F-117 stealth fighter that came into the public eye during the first Gulf War .

The canopy of the X-59 is designed to offer good visibility and withstand high-speed airflow.

VR Score

71

Informative language

74

Neutral language

20

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

55

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

medium-lived

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no external sources

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