Page 12 - VTE JUNE

News | Aerospace
Back to supersonics for Lockheed X-plane
NASA took another major step towards reintroducing supersonic flight with an award to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company to design, build and test a supersonic aircraft to reduce sonic boom.
This Low-Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) mission, set for 2021 completion will be followed by testing. It is leading a government-industry team collecting data that could make supersonic flight over land possible for the first time since the 1973 Federal Aviation Administration ban and dramatically reducing travel time.
The LBFD X-plane, could be a key contributor in changing sound-based rules prohibiting supersonic flight over land, opening doors for new commercial cargo and passenger
markets to provide faster-than-sound air travel.
Sonic boom is created when a conventional aircraft reaches the speed of sound. A series of shockwaves of different strengths coalesce as they expand away from the aircraft’s nose and tail, resulting in two distinct and thunderous sonic booms that travel to the ground and are loud enough to break windows or cause minor structural damage.
Lockheed Martin’s proposed 94-foot-long
X-plane, with a wingspan of 29.5 feet, will cruise at an altitude of 55,000 feet at a speed of about 940 miles per hour, and reduce sonic boom to 75 Perceived Level decibel.
The new X-plane design quiets sonic boom with a uniquely-shaped hull that generates supersonic shockwaves but prevents them from coalescing. When these shockwaves weaken and reach the ground they’ll be heard only as a quick series of soft thumps (as quiet as a car door closing) if at all.
Photograph - Vision Automotive Technology manufacturing facility, Taiwan.
Vision Automotive Technology is a totally flexible manufacturing facility with the expertise to develop intricate electronics systems and wiring harnesses for both the automotive industry and the home security market. Their adaptive manufacturing capability allows for both low and high volume solutions.
Currently manufacturing a large range of products for vehicle OEM’s and Tier 1 OEM suppliers in the Asia Pacific region, there is a particular focus on greater expansion into the Australian market.
The product lines consists of wiring harnesses, parking sensors, LED lighting, DVR’s, Tyre pressure Monitoring Systems, Auto dimming and full screen reversing mirrors, plastic injection moulded products and tooling, wired and wireless camera systems.
The majority of all components have a particular emphasis on improving road safety, and are tested to the most stringent of requirements.
With inhouse engineering, warehousing and product development capability in Melbourne, Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia, and fully accredited manufacturing capability in Thailand and Taiwan, the team at Vision can provide high quality products for your needs, or can develop that unique product that could put your company ahead of its competitors.
For further information on the Vision group of companies and their products and capability go to www.visionautotech.co.th, or contact Whitney Turner – Business Development Manager. Email: whitney@visionautotech.co.th Phone: +61 439 108 277 or
Phil Love – Group Managing Director. Email: Phil@visionautotech.co.th Phone: +61 40 064 010 or Eddy Azzopardi – Managing Director. Email eddy@visionautotech.co.th Phone: +61 419 509 905 Australia or +66 818 460 020 Thailand
12 | June 2018