The laws of atmospheric physics dictate that no matter how a supersonic vehicle is shaped or propelled it will generate a sonic boom when it exceeds the speed of sound. But technology to dramatically minimize that boom has been developed and new details of two concept vehicles that could be used to prove these advances in flight test have been revealed for the first time.
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R ecapturing the X-plane spirit is challenging without the resources to fly experimental aircraft like the iconic North American X-15 of the 1960s. But NASA hopes to bring a culture of “learning by doing” back to its aeronautics research by staying small and moving quickly.
Record-high operating profit margins being reported by U.S. defense prime contractors could be sustained for another year, perhaps even three, but later this decade and into next, margins may come under pressure. Of course, this has to be considered on a company-by-company basis, but there are some broader changes to consider
