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Funky Flying Wing Rotates 90 Degrees To Go Supersonic
Big Hairy Ian writes "An aircraft that resembles a four-point ninja star could go into supersonic mode by simply turning 90 degrees in midair. The unusual 'flying wing' concept has won $100,000 in NASA funding to trying becoming a reality for future passenger jet travel. The supersonic, bidirectional flying wing idea comes from a team headed by Ge-Chen Zha, an aerospace engineer at Florida State University. He said the fuel-efficient aircraft could reach supersonic speeds without the thunderclap sound (PDF) produced by a sonic boom — a major factor that previously limited where the supersonic Concorde passenger jet could fly over populated land masses."
A link to an article that makes you answer a poll about the RNC before letting you RTFA? Lame.
First Post.
Hey if you can post InfoWorld articles I think anything short of goatse is fair game (actually there was that goatse-ish link to an artist's website a few years back...)
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Which direction does the wing rotate 90 degrees?
In the past some planes could achieve supersonic flight by rotating the whole plane 90 degrees (from level flight) Getting back to subsonic flight was sometimes a bit more difficult...
In those circumstances getting subsonic was trivial, just a matter of waiting a brief time period.
Wonder what the change in perspective does to the pilot and passengers ...
Makes the pilots feel like passengers. Makes half the passengers feel like pilots, the other half feel like tail gunners, refueling boom operators, etc.
... and how fast the rotation is.
Slow enough that the forces are a fraction of a G.
The Concorde was not profitable because Boeing got the mission it was designed for (Europe to Las Angeles) shut down by buying themselves a law.
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba