#Quiet SuperSonic Technology

[enterprisewired]

NASA Targets 2024 for First Flight of X-59 Experimental Aircraft

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NASA’s Quesst mission has postponed the inaugural flight of its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft to 2024. The X-59, an extraordinary experimental aircraft, has posed intricate engineering challenges for NASA researchers collaborating with the primary contractor, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. Apart from its unique design, the X-59 incorporates innovative technology and components from various established aircraft, including its landing gear from an F-16 and its life-support system adapted from an F-15.

Additional time is required to integrate systems into the aircraft

Given the complexities involved in developing this exceptional aircraft, the Quesst team is diligently addressing several technical issues identified during the course of 2023, when the X-59 was initially slated for its maiden flight. Additional time is required to seamlessly integrate systems into the aircraft and ensure their proper functioning. The team is also resolving intermittent problems with some of the safety-redundant computers that oversee the aircraft’s systems.

Over the past year, Quesst has made consistent progress towards flight readiness. The team completed the finishing touches on the X-59’s tail structure, allowing them to finalize its electrical wiring and advance to critical ground tests. They also moved the aircraft from its assembly facility to the flight line for structural testing.

The X-59’s primary objective is to demonstrate the capability to achieve supersonic flight, exceeding the speed of sound, while minimizing the typical disruptive sonic boom to a subdued sonic thump. NASA intends to conduct flights over several communities to collect data on how people perceive the noise it generates. This data will be provided to U.S. and international regulators to potentially revise regulations that currently prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land.

Lockheed Martin X-59 finally unveiled in hangar rollout

Fully committed to a meticulous review and testing process

NASA places paramount importance on safety and mission success. For Quesst, this entails ensuring the X-59’s safety before it takes flight and ensuring its long-term reliability during the community test phase. The aircraft is currently undergoing comprehensive integrated testing, which must be successfully completed prior to its inaugural flight. Following this stage, the aircraft will proceed to a flight readiness review, during which NASA will unveil a more specific timeline for the first flight.

Quesst represents a mission with the potential to transform commercial aviation travel by significantly reducing travel times. Safely and reliably deploying the X-59 is crucial for NASA to realize the benefits of this mission. The agency is fully committed to a meticulous review and testing process to ensure the mission’s success.

Read More: New Asteroid Search Algorithm Detects Its First Dangerous Space Rock

[usafphantom2]

NASA postpones X-59 flight tests to 2024

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/20/2023 - 10:01am in Technology

NASA postponed the first flight of the X-59 low-noise supersonic demonstrator to 2024, after a series of subsystem problems found during verification tests at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, later this summer, proved more difficult to solve than expected.

"We want to fly as early as possible, but we want to fly safely," says the agency, which - together with Lockheed Martin - has solved a variety of problems of abandonment and redundancy of security systems in various subsystems.

First reported in August, the problems are related to the flight control computer and the hydraulic system and were found during structural coupling tests in Palmdale. The coupling tests were designed to evaluate the interaction between the fuselage and the flight control system, and to ensure the absence of any aeroelastic and aeroservoelastic instabilities.

Developed by Lockheed for NASA's Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) program, the X-59 almost 30 meters long was originally supposed to fly in 2021. However, the latest system-related delays add to a series of delays that included workforce hiring issues, the pandemic and technical challenges related to cabling and the integration of final systems. Until recently, the agency still expected to make the first flight of the X-59 by the end of the year, with a transition soon after to NASA's neighboring Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Base for subsequent expansion of the envelope.

Commenting on the delay, NASA states: “This unique experimental aircraft requires unique and complex engineering, and its team encountered several technical challenges last year. The X-59 is currently in the process of integrated testing, which must be completed to help ensure safe and successful flights. NASA plans to release a more specific schedule for the first flight when the flight readiness review is completed, after integrated tests."

The X-59 is designed to collect community response data on the public acceptability of reduced sonic rons. The data will be used by U.S. and international authorities to determine whether a growth standard can be established that allows the release of the current ban on civilian supersonic flights over land, which has been in force since the 1970s.

However, to achieve low-intensity sonic sonic roning at the projected speed of the X-59 of Mach 1.4, the aircraft is configured with a well-sloping hang glider and swinging extended nose section that represents more than one third of the length of the vehicle. Specifically designed with rigidity for high-speed testing, rather than resistance for payload capacity, the long and slender format therefore presents significant aeroelastic challenges.

Source: Aviation Week

Tags: Lockheed MartinNASAQueSST - Quiet Supersonic TechnologyTechnologysupersonic flightX-59

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[livewalksite]

Lockheed Martin X-59 QuessT With Quiet SuperSonic Technology - MSN - https://live-walk.site/2024/11/lockheed-martin-x-59-quesst-with-quiet-supersonic-technology-msn/

[guneyteknoweb]

NASA, Uçuşlarda Gürültüyü Asgariye İndiren Süpersonik Uçağı X-59'un Motorunu İlk Kez Çalıştırdı! (Yüksek İrtifada Sessiz Uçuş Mümkün mü?)

NASA, süpersonik uçuşları daha sessiz hale getirecek X-59 uçağının motorlarını ilk kez çalıştırdı ve test etti. NASA, sessiz süpersonik X-59 uçağının motorlarını ilk kez çalıştırdı. X-59, ses patlamalarını minimum seviyeye indirerek süpersonik uçuşları daha sessiz hale getirmeyi amaçlıyor. NASA’nın X-59 uçağı, Quiet Supersonic Technology (Quesst) adı verilen bir teknoloji ile tasarlandı.…

[teejoin]

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Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] From the manufacturer Faster Cooling With the Supersonic Cooling Mode, wait no more for the AC to activate. With this functionality, the AC begins to cool the room within 10 seconds of switching it on. Beat your stressful and humid days with this AC’s unbeatable cooling prowess. Quiet Mode To enjoy a peaceful night's sleep, you can always choose to switch off the temperature indicating light on the AC and to take it a step further, the quiet operation mode ensures peace of mind all through the night Twin Inverter Enjoy efficient, comfortable, and reliable cooling with Twin Inverter+ which saves upto 65% energy and also ensures optimal efficiency at multiple frequencies and voltage ranges. Long Air Flow Ensure even cooling up to 20 meters with Long Distance Air Flow technology, providing consistent comfort and minimizing hot spots.

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[militaryleak]

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Rolls Out X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology X-Plane

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® rolled out the X-59, a unique experimental aircraft designed to quiet the sonic boom, at a ceremony in Palmdale, California. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Lockheed Martin's and NASA's decades-long journey to solve one of the most persistent challenges of supersonic flight – the sonic boom. Rollout ceremonies are a long-standing aviation tradition, and in the case of the X-59, it celebrated technical advancements, collaboration and innovation that stemmed from years of research, development and production of a one-of-a-kind technology demonstrator aircraft that will reduce the loudness of sonic booms to a gentle thump.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® rolled out the X-59, a unique experimental aircraft designed to quiet the sonic boom, at a ceremony in Palmdale, California. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Lockheed Martin’s and NASA’s decades-long journey to solve one of the most persistent challenges of supersonic flight – the sonic boom. Rollout ceremonies are a long-standing aviation tradition, and…

[spacenutspod]

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the apron outside Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility at dawn in Palmdale, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to address one of the primary challenges to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.Lockheed Martin Skunk Works NASA and Lockheed Martin formally debuted the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft Friday. Using this one-of-a-kind experimental airplane, NASA aims to gather data that could revolutionize air travel, paving the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound. “This is a major accomplishment made possible only through the hard work and ingenuity from NASA and the entire X-59 team,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “In just a few short years we’ve gone from an ambitious concept to reality. NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.” Melroy and other senior officials revealed the aircraft during a ceremony hosted by prime contractor Lockheed Martin Skunk Works at its Palmdale, California facility. The X-59 is at the center of NASA’s Quesst mission, which focuses on providing data to help regulators reconsider rules that prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land. For 50 years, the U.S. and other nations have prohibited such flights because of the disturbance caused by loud, startling sonic booms on the communities below. The X-59 is expected to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 mph. Its design, shaping and technologies will allow the aircraft to achieve these speeds while generating a quieter sonic thump. “It’s thrilling to consider the level of ambition behind Quesst and its potential benefits,” said Bob Pearce, associate administrator for aeronautics research at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA will share the data and technology we generate from this one-of-a-kind mission with regulators and with industry. By demonstrating the possibility of quiet commercial supersonic travel over land, we seek to open new commercial markets for U.S. companies and benefit travelers around the world.” With rollout complete, the Quesst team will shift to its next steps in preparation for first flight: integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing for the X-59. The aircraft is set to take off for the first time later this year, followed by its first quiet supersonic flight. The Quesst team will conduct several of the aircraft’s flight tests at Skunk Works before transferring it to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, which will serve as its base of operations. “Across both teams, talented, dedicated, and passionate scientists, engineers, and production artisans have collaborated to develop and produce this aircraft,” said John Clark, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “We’re honored to be a part of this journey to shape the future of supersonic travel over land alongside NASA and our suppliers.” Once NASA completes flight tests, the agency will fly the aircraft over several to-be-selected cities across the U.S., collecting input about the sound the X-59 generates and how people perceive it. NASA will provide that data to the Federal Aviation Administration and international regulators. The X-59 is a unique experimental airplane, not a prototype – its technologies are meant to inform future generations of quiet supersonic aircraft. At 99.7 feet long and 29.5 feet wide, the aircraft’s shape and the technological advancements it houses will make quiet supersonic flight possible. The X-59’s thin, tapered nose accounts for almost a third of its length and will break up the shock waves that would ordinarily result in a supersonic aircraft causing a sonic boom. Due to this configuration, the cockpit is located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft – and does not have a forward-facing window. Instead, the Quesst team developed the eXternal Vision System, a series of high-resolution cameras feeding a 4K monitor in the cockpit. The Quesst team also designed the aircraft with its engine mounted on top and gave it a smooth underside to help keep shockwaves from merging behind the aircraft and causing a sonic boom. For more information about Quesst, visit: www.nasa.gov/Quesst -end- Rob MargettaHeadquarters, Washington202-763-5012robert.j.margetta@nasa.gov Sasha EllisLangley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia757-864-5473sasha.c.ellis@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsAeronauticsQuesst (X-59)Supersonic Flight

[unnathii]

The Evolution of Dyson Hair Care Products.

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Building on the success of the Supersonic, Dyson introduced the Airwrap Styler in 2018, a multi-functional hair styling tool that utilized air to style hair without extreme heat. The Airwrap's innovative technology allowed users to curl, wave, smooth, and volumize their hair effortlessly. With multiple attachments catering to different styling preferences, the Airwrap became a game-changer in the world of hair styling.

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The evolution of Dyson's hair care products reflects a commitment to redefining industry standards. From the Supersonic Hair Dryer to the Corrale Hair Straightener, each product has brought a unique blend of technology, design, and functionality. As Dyson continues to push the boundaries of what's possible, consumers can expect future innovations that not only enhance the way we care for our hair but also elevate the overall styling experience. Dyson's stylish journey through the world of hair care is a testament to the brand's dedication to innovation and excellence

[jcmarchi]

Challenge: Commercialize Adaptable Radiometric Measuring System (ARMS) - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/challenge-commercialize-adaptable-radiometric-measuring-system-arms-technology-org/

Challenge: Commercialize Adaptable Radiometric Measuring System (ARMS) - Technology Org

Adaptable Radiometric Measuring System (ARMS) is a low Size Weight and Power (SWaP) noncontact temperature measurement system, developed to benefit ground and flight tests of hypersonic and reentry vehicles across NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy.

NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology X-plane, or QueSST. Image credits: Lockheed Martin

This radiometric system measures the temperature of any components of heat shields, aeroshells, hot gas flow paths, or proximate structures. There are likely opportunities for ARMS to benefit many civilian and consumer efforts not currently considered.

The NASA Technology Transfer Office would like to identify and license to one or more organizations or teams that can mature this technology, with the long-term goal of commercializing these sensors.

Radiometric temperature measurement: Overview

NASA efforts to support commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) have led to many new technologies, such as ARMS. The challenge of measuring high temperatures with a low SWaP system is present across a variety of air and space vehicles, as well as ground test and defense applications.

Although commercial LEO, supersonic, and hypersonic development are obvious areas with the need for high temperature data, other possible applications exist for this wireless and contactless high-temperature measurement technology.

Radiometric system ARMS utilizes wireless fiber optic communication with a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) separate from the measured heat source. The tested temperature range for the sensor is 600⁰C to 2900⁰C (1112⁰F to 5252⁰F). The advantages of ARMS over thermocouples and other technologies in use include:

A contactless system that eliminates consumables that burn away during conventional high temperature measurement

A temperature range which far exceeds the capacities of thermocouples

Better quality and quantity of data for this higher temperature range due to the fiber optic system, with more accurate and frequent data sampling

NASA hopes to identify and work with the widest practical and appropriate audience of new innovators and to promote awareness of this technology. The ARMS team will supply the winning solution(s) with a non-exclusive license, two (2) prototype systems, and consulting time from the NASA engineering team that will be negotiated during the licensing agreement.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by Dec 1, 2023.

Source: NineSights

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[michaelgabrill]

NASA Targets 2024 for First Flight of X-59 Experimental Aircraft

NASA’s Quesst mission has adjusted the scheduled first flight of its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft to 2024. A one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft, the X-59 has required complex engineering from NASA researchers working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. In addition to the aircraft’s design, the X-59 also combines new technology with systems and components from […] from NASA https://ift.tt/o0Sj5dk

[influencermagazineuk]

Revolutionizing Air Travel: NASA's Ambitious Project to Cut New York to London Flight Time to 1.5 Hours

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[nasa]

Laying the Groundwork for a New Generation of Commercial Supersonic Aircraft

Cabin crew, prepare for takeoff. Engines roar; speed increases. You sip a cold beverage as the aircraft accelerates quietly past Mach 1 or around 600 mph. There’s no indication you’re flying over land faster than the speed of sound except when you glance at your watch upon arrival and see you’ve reached your destination in half the time. You leisurely walk off the plane with ample time to explore, finish a final report or visit a familiar face. This reality is closer than you think.

We’re on a mission to help you get to where you want to go in half the time. Using our single-pilot X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) research aircraft, we will provide rule-makers the data needed to lift current bans on faster-than-sound air travel over land and help enable a new generation of commercial supersonic aircraft.

The X-59 QueSST is unique in shape. Each element of the aircraft’s design will help reduce a loud sonic boom, typically produced by conventional supersonic aircraft, to a gentle sonic thump, making it quieter for people on the ground. To prove the quiet technology works, we will fly the X-59 over select U.S. communities to gauge the public’s response to the sound.

We are working with Lockheed Martin in Palmdale, California, to manufacture the X-59 and are making significant progress, despite the pandemic.

We finished the majority of work on the wing and closed its interior, marking the halfway point on construction of the aircraft. 

The X-59 team at Lockheed Martin completed the final touches by fastening skins to the wing. A special sealant is applied so that fuel can be carried in the wings of the aircraft.

Moving at a steady pace, technicians continue to work on many parts of the aircraft simultaneously. The forebody section of the aircraft will carry the pilot and all the avionics needed to fly the aircraft.

Because of the X-59’s long nose, the pilot will rely on an eXternal Vision System (XVS), rather than a window, for forward-facing visibility. The XVS will display fused images from an advanced computing system and cameras mounted on the upper and lower part of the aircraft’s nose.

The aft part of the aircraft will hold an F414 GE engine and other critical systems. Unlike typical aircraft, the engine inlet will be located on the upper surface of the X-59 and is one of many features that will help reduce the noise heard on the ground.

Over the next several months, the team will merge all three sections together. After final assembly in 2021, the X-59 will undergo numerous tests to ensure structural integrity of the aircraft and that ¬its components work properly. First flight of the aircraft will be in 2022 and community testing will start in 2024, making way for a new market of quiet commercial supersonic aircraft.

Want to learn more about the X-59 and our mission? Visit nasa.gov/X59. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com. 

[themidnightcrimson]

Halloween. | w. maximoff

summary: in which a happy halloween in westview turns into something truly horrifying.

warnings: top!wanda, oral (r receiving), dubcon, mind control, agatha being a nosy neighbor, wanda being her usual crazy possessive but hot self

this post is for 18+ only. minors: do not interact.

masterlist.

The night was crisp and alive. All the children seemed to finally get out of their houses to dress up and run around the neighborhood streets, collecting candy and laughter. You had almost lost hope in this generation, as you hardly ever saw any kids outside in Westview, assuming that the technological era had gotten hold of them and locked them up in their rooms with their video games and television. You were fearful for the 90’s children across the globe, but Westview was sort of an anomaly.

You were so excited for Halloween this year that one could’ve believed you had never even experienced Halloween before. In fact, now that you think of it…

A child suddenly zoomed past you in seemingly supersonic speed, nearly knocking you off your feet. “Hey!” you yelled at the kid, turning around to see the boy with his foot smashed into a pumpkin in the yard next to you. He looked up at you with wide eyes, dressed in some sort of strange blue costume with his hair sprayed blonde and gelled up into spikes like lightning bolts. You weren’t sure how you knew, but you knew that he was Tommy, the son of your neighbor, Wanda.

“Sorry!” he said guiltily, his air of rambunctiousness fading as he took his foot out of the decimated pumpkin, guts stringing from his shoe.

You eyed his costume and tried to figure out what it was. “What are you supposed to be?”

“Uncle Pietro!” he said proudly, scuffing the pumpkin guts off his shoe and onto the grass.

You sewed your eyebrows. “Is that a comic book character or something?”

Tommy shrugged before turning around and speeding off. As soon as you could blink, he was gone.

“That kid should do track someday,” you mumbled to yourself, straightening the witch’s hat on your head. You really couldn’t think of anything else to dress up as, being a fully grown adult, so you opted for the classic witch. A pointy black hat, a black skirt, and a corset that was admittedly revealing. You must have bought the costume far ahead in preparation because you couldn’t quite remember when or where you had bought it.

Everyone seemed more cheery than usual that night. There was chatter and laughter all throughout the streets, and you decided to walk them for a while to just take in the gleeful atmosphere.

It was a while before you got to the edge of town, the last neighborhood before the city line: Ellis Avenue. You noticed that the Halloween cheer seemed to radiate from the heart of Westview, and out here on the edge of town, there was less of it. In fact, it was completely silent. You noticed people out in their yard, some kids dressed as skeletons with trick or treat bags in their hands. They seemed to just be standing, and as you passed them you expected to see them whispering to each other about some prank they were planning. But as you looked at their faces, their eyes were open. Their mouths were open as if they were trying to get a word out. They weren’t just standing—they were entirely frozen.

Besides technology being a threat to children, you knew drugs were, too. It wouldn’t be untypical for some teens to take drugs on Halloween, so you stopped and took a few steps closer to them.

“Excuse me,” you gently spoke as you looked between their faces. “Are you kids alright?” They made no movement. They were like statues, ones that were crafted with looks of terror on their faces before they were turned to stone. They were entirely inanimate. Was this just a decoration? A hyper realistic decoration made to look like real trick or treaters? You didn’t notice any wires or buttons, but there was an unsettling feeling in your stomach telling you to keep walking.

As you kept down the lit but quiet street, a fog blew in through your feet. Some crickets were chirping from the woods nearby, and you could hear the electronic whoosh of blown-up and lit-up decorations on almost every house on the street, but other than that, it was quiet. Yet there were people. There were people in their yards frozen in the start of the celebratory night, like they had stepped out their house to join in on the festivities but weren’t able to get very far.

“What the hell is going on…” The street looked like memory of life, like you were walking through a 3D snapshot left to dust.

As you neared the very end of the street, you looked beyond the road to a section of field in front of the woods that served as the Westview boundary. You were about to turn around and go back to investigate more of what was going on, but suddenly you noticed a glimmer in the air and stopped. Were your eyes deceiving you? Were you the one that had taken drugs and was tripping out of your mind?

You noticed a strange glimmer in the air again, and then a sort of colorful glitch. “What…” you whispered, walking closer to whatever it was in the air right in front of you. You stepped past the concrete road, your witchy heels walking in the grass as you noticed the glitch appear again. Was it a strange reflection of light from the streetlight? Was it fireflies in the air playing a trick on you?

The glitch appeared in the air again, and you stepped closer to it, raising your hand. It was right in front of you now, illuminating in your eyes, and you could hear some strange buzzing noise right in your ears. A sort of fatigue passed you all of a sudden, like you were a machine slowing down. Nonetheless, you raised your hand, bringing a few fingers to touch the light. As soon as your fingers felt a strange thick energy in the air, a burst of red flashed before your eyes before you were pushed back, propelling all the way backwards onto the street and hitting the concrete hard.

Your breath was knocked out of you with an involuntary huff, and you groaned from the ache in your back as you slowly sat up, your hat having fallen off and rolled a bit away from you. As you opened your eyes, they widened at what you saw. The small glitch of light you had seen before had morphed into a nucleus of red that was pulsating outwards as if spreading itself over a wall. It hummed and throbbed, as if offended by your touch, before it began shrinking into itself and snapping shut, disappearing and leaving nothing but the pure air in front of you. You noticed a few smaller glitches appear on this strange invisible boundary before they stopped all together.

You nearly shrieked when you heard loud noises come from behind you. Turning your head, you saw that Ellis Avenue was alive again, with kids running all around and the parents continuing their duties of passing out candy to them. Even the group of skeletons were sprinting now, chattering and talking loudly. Ellis was alive again.

Sitting in the middle of the road, you shrieked when you saw headlights coming fast towards you. This strange fatigue still lingering inside you prevented you from being able to scramble up, and you were practically accepting your fate as this car barreled towards you. Raising a hand over your face, you winced and waited to feel the car smack into you. Instead, you heard the loud squealing of brakes and the shrieking of rubber tires against the road. The noises came closer to you until it was right in front of you, but then they stopped suddenly. You could hear the hum of an engine in your ears, and the smell of exhaust, and when you finally opened your eyes, all you could see was bright whiteness. Blinking, your vision cleared, and you saw that the bumper of the car was right in front of your nose, headlights blinding your eyes.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, hon!” yelled a womanly voice as you slowly picked yourself up from the ground, grabbing your witch’s hat and putting it on as if it would protect you. You shielded your eyes from the headlights and saw a woman poking her head through the driver’s side window. It was Agatha, your neighbor.

“Hey, I know you!” she called, pointing your finger in the air. “Oh my gosh, you’re one of the neighbors! Two doors down, right?”

You nodded, feeling confused and strange and slightly dizzy. It wasn’t because you nearly got hit by a car—it was because of the strange invisible wall that felt like it was watching you now.

“Get in! The least I can do is give you a ride after nearly turning you into roadkill,” she said sarcastically before giving out a shrill laughter that made your ears hurt.

Too confused to deny and a little scared to walk home by yourself, you walked to the passenger side of the car and got in. Once you closed the door, the nervous feeling in your stomach seemed to shrink deeper. Agatha propelled the car forward and turned it into a U-shape, turning onto Ellis Avenue.

You hadn’t even noticed, but Agatha was also dressed as a witch, wearing a nearly identical pointy hat like yours. “Well, I guess witches must be in season!” she exclaimed when she noticed your costume. “Although your costume is much more on the edge than mine—look at that corset!” she exclaimed, reaching over and dragging a finger down the waist of the corset. You jumped, having been too absorbed in watching how lively Ellis was now. “Mine is a little more vintage. I was going for a more Salem coven vibe, if you know what I mean.”

You weren’t even listening to her. “How are they alive again?” you whispered to yourself, noticing that not a single person in the neighborhood was frozen like they had been only minutes ago.

Agatha stopped talking, looking over at you with a polite grin but concerned eyes. “What’s that, honey?”

You pointed out the window. “These people… They were all frozen like… like statues…” You were too flabbergasted to realize how crazy you sounded.

“My, I sure hope I didn’t bump your head back there!” Agatha giggled, pulling a strange face that you didn’t notice.

You remained quiet as Agatha started talking about how her husband, Ralph, never wanted to celebrate Halloween. You were thankful that you were still in a daze when she started talking about how she even tried to dress up as a sexy nurse for him.

Finally, you made it back to your own neighborhood. Agatha pulled the car into her own driveway, given that your house was only two doors down. Once the car was turned off, you started to get out, wanting to just go to your bed and sleep after the strange things you had experienced. Agatha’s voice stopped you. “Would you like to come inside? I make a great dirty apple cider. One or two of those and you won’t remember a thing the next day! See, I do about one fourth cider and three fourths bourbon, and—”

“No thanks, Agatha,” you told her with a weak smile. “I��m not feeling too well. I need to just go home and sleep.”

She looked slightly disappointed, but she quickly recovered with her characteristic charming smile. “Oh, no worries, dear! You go rest up, and I’ll make a batch to bring you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Agatha,” you smiled, getting out of the car and feeling refreshed by the cool air. Walking to the sidewalk, you began the walk to your house. Between Agatha’s house and yours was Wanda’s house. Although you often saw her out and about around town, you hadn’t talked to your neighbor very much. You honestly couldn’t even remember when she moved in.

You were almost past Wanda’s house when you heard a door open. Looking up, you saw Wanda stepping out of her house. Shock filled you at the sight of her—you weren’t sure what she was dressed as, but it was an outfit that made your breath catch. She was dressed in an all-red leotard with tight pink tights and a strange sort of crown on her head. You assumed maybe it was some sort of comic book character, given Tommy’s costume from earlier, but it was incredibly breathtaking.

“Y/n!” she called, and even from there you could see her wide grin. “What a surprise running into you!”

You gave her a polite smile, but your eyebrows threaded. Strange running into you? She had opened her door right as you were walking by it—it didn’t seem like a coincidence.

“Why don’t you come in!” she called, waving you towards her porch.

“Sorry, Wanda,” you yelled as much as you could with how tired you felt. “I’ve had a strange night. I’m just going to—”

“Come in,” she said again, this time the smile on her face fading. Suddenly, you found yourself sharply turning towards her driveway and walking up it. Why were you going to her house? Why had you obeyed her? Why couldn’t you stop your feet from walking?

Wanda watched you with a sort of satisfied smirk as you robotically walked up her steps. She stepped aside to let you pass through the door, and you involuntarily did. You had never been in Wanda’s house before. It was nice and normal like every other house on the street, and you noticed a video game console connected to the TV. The living room was a little messy, with soda cans and candy wrappers everywhere.

“Sorry about the mess,” she apologized while she closed the door, and you could’ve sworn you heard a lock. “My brother Pietro has been staying here and he’s… not very tidy.” She clasped her hands together and stared at you.

You turned to look at her, waiting for her to say something or offer you a reason why she wanted you to stop by, but she only looked at you. “Where’s the kids?” you asked politely.

“Trick-or-treating, of course!” she said obviously. “With Pietro.”

You nodded, realizing it was a pretty stupid question. “Is Vision out with them?”

You noticed Wanda’s eyes dart to the side as she opened her mouth and hesitated before speaking. “Probably. He’s out, is all I know. Don’t know when he’ll decide to come back,” she said with a nervous giggle. “Can I get you something? Water or juice? We’re not really drinkers, so I don’t have any—”

“Sorry, Wanda,” you interrupted her as you felt a pounding reside in your brain. It felt like a headache was coming on, an intense one that made you pinch the bridge of your nose and squeeze your eyes shut. “I really don’t feel good. I may be getting sick and I wouldn’t want you or the kids to catch whatever it is.”

“You’re fine,” she said, and although there was a smile on her face, her voice was firm. “Why don’t you sit down?” She gestured to the couch, but then realized it was a mess from Pietro crashing on it. “Well, actually… How about we go upstairs? You can lay down on the bed while I—”

“Wanda, I need to go home,” you interrupted her again, feeling nervous as to why she was insisting that you stay there or that you go lie in her bed when you have your own bed just next door.

Her smile slowly faded as she fiddled her fingers. “Are you alright, y/n? You seem a little pale.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you!” you exclaimed, not meaning to be harsh with her but feeling irritated and dizzy. “I’m sorry, I just…” You rubbed your face with both of your hands. “I need to get away for a while, I think. I’ve been so out of it.”

“Get away?” Wanda echoed, her eyebrow lowering in a subtle manner. “What do you mean?”

“Just a vacation or something. I feel like I’ve been in this town forever.” You started to hear that strange humming in your ears again, chocking it up to a weird side effect of your oncoming headache. “I can’t even remember the last time I went on vacation. I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast this morning, or where I got this costume, or when I started working at my job, or when I even fucking moved here. I can’t even fucking remember what happened before I got in Agatha’s car…” All you could remember now was red light in your eyes and energetic humming in your ears.

“Oh, honey, come upstairs,” Wanda urged you. “You look like you’re about to fall over.” She pressed a hand to your lower back, and a few moments later you found yourself walking up the stairs with Wanda. Then, you found yourself sitting on her bed. Were you dissociating? Was your body going on autopilot and just doing whatever Wanda told it to do?

“Wanda…” you mumbled, glancing to her to see that she was closing her bedroom door, and you watched her hand linger on the handle before you heard a click.

Wanda was always so neighborly. Always inviting you over, which you politely declined, always bringing you casseroles and cakes for no reason other than that she wanted to be nice. In fact, you had never seen anything other than a cheery smile on her face. Now that she was slowly turning around to face you, something was terrifyingly different on her face. Her eyebrows were lowered, her red lips bent in a sort of scowl.

You felt the human urge to flee, to escape, to run away, but some weird force kept you sitting there on the bed. As you looked at Wanda’s darkened green eyes, and her scowl that turned upwards into a smirk, you managed to connect the dots. Was she controlling you? Was she in your mind, messing with the controls of your brain to operate you like her little puppet?

“Smart girl,” she whispered, and your face dropped in terror as your questions were answered. “What were you thinking? Going out all by yourself on the edge of town.”

“I… I…” Your mind was blanking.

“Were you trying to leave?” her voice lowered two octaves as she stared you down like a lion. You were trembling under her gaze as the altered reality you had been living in started crashing down around you.

“You know that leaving is not allowed, honey,” she continued, taking a calculated step closer to you. “Why would you want to leave me—Westview?” she corrected, but you felt like the word choice was also calculated.

“I wasn’t trying to leave,” you told her. “I was just walking around town. I got to Ellis Avenue and I saw…” you trailed, trying to focus through Wanda’s hand in your brain to remember what you saw.

Wanda took another step towards you, and she was standing in front of you now. She brought her hand to your chin, her smooth fingers cradling it and lifting your face up to look at her tilted head. “Saw what, honey?”

Before you could say anything, her hand slipped down to your throat and gently clasped it. Wanda pushed you backwards slowly, placing her knee on the bed and crawling over you as she moved you so easily to your back. You laid on the bed, staring up with wide eyes at your neighbor who was kneeling between your legs.

“You can’t leave, y/n,” Wanda huskily whispered as her other hand rested on the middle of your stomach, feeling you inhale and exhale fearfully. “I won’t let you.” Her hand lowered, swiveling around the crescent of your hip before slipping under your skirt and landing between your legs, cupping you. Your breath hitched at the feeling, and although panic was quickly rising within you, heat blossomed from where her hand was.

“What do you mean?” you breathlessly asked as Wanda lost focus, trailing her eyes over your skimpy corset and your short skirt that was raised over your hips now. She licked her lips, her fingers hooking around the hem of your panties.

“Walking around town at night, during Halloween, wearing something like this?” She clicked her tongue, her wild eyes flashing back to yours. “If only I didn’t give you the costume myself, I would be punishing you over my lap right now.”

She gave you the costume? No, no, you found the costume in your closet. You bought it yourself at… You couldn’t remember where you bought it. You couldn’t remember it ever even being in your closet until hours before when you were scrummaging for something to wear. Did she sneak into your house and put it there?

More important matters were on your mind. “Wanda, what do you mean you won’t let me leave?”

“Hush, kitten. Mommy’s waited so long to have you.” She started to drag your panties down your thighs, breathing through her teeth as her eyes focused in between your skirt.

Wanda was the most attractive woman in Westview, although you had never thought of her that way because she was married and had children. Still, you wondered why you weren’t trying to leave, why you were letting her drop your panties to the floor.

Her hands took the underside of your knees and bent them upwards, spreading them so you were wide open for her. She lowered herself down between your legs, and before you knew it, her mouth was on you.

Your lips fell open as Wanda began to devour you, moaning into you as her tongue rolled over your clit. Your mind was hurting from confusion and from Wanda messing with it, but it started to fade away as she pleasured you. There was desperation in the way she ate you, like she had been dreaming for years to spread your legs and have just a taste of you. You couldn’t remember Wanda ever flirting with you or showing anything other than neighborly care, but her desire was clear in the way she hooked her arms around your thighs to keep you still as she tasted you.

“Wanda,” you breathed, your chest arching off the bed as your hips bucked towards her mouth. You glanced down to see her locks of red hair sprawled across your thighs, her cardboard crown poking your thighs. You were growing dizzy, a pressure forming in your lower abdomen as your thighs squeezed around her head. She gave a guttural moan right against your clit that pushed you over the edge, throwing your head back in a high-pitched moan as you came. Wanda continued to lap at you through your climax, her fingertips pressing into your thighs so hard they left bruises.

Wanda carried you through your high until you fell back against the bed, panting and feeling the tingly feelings linger within you. You felt a sort of guilt for what had just happened, how you had let a married woman put you on her bed and put her head between your legs, until Wanda rose up and placed a leg outside of yours, keeping one between your legs as she cupped you again, this time touching you bare. Your juices were glistening on her lips, her lipstick not as smudged as you thought it would be. You tensed when you felt her fingers reach your entrance but then stop suddenly. Her dark eyes flickered, and she took her hand away.

“No,” she whispered to herself. “I want to savor you.”

She got off of you, placing your skirt back over your legs with one hand as she sucked your wetness off the fingers of her other hand. You were weak as you sat up on your elbows, looking at her in confusion. She was going to savor you? Was she going to ask you out again or something? How was she going to assume that you were going to say yes, or that you were going to let her touch you again?

“I don’t have to assume,” she answered for you, and she stretched her hand out towards you. You saw a flash of red and heard that loud buzzing sound in your ears before you fell asleep.

+

You were in a strange place when you woke up. It was a bedroom, an unfamiliar one that was decorated strangely. There was some sort of TV hanging on the wall, except it was wide and completely flat. As you sat up from the bed, feeling dizzy and sore, you looked around the room and noticed that it looked familiar.

It was Wanda’s room, but it was decorated completely different. It was more modern, with a strange device the size of your hand sitting on the nightstand. It looked like a mini version of the strange TV hanging on the wall.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

You jumped, not having seen Wanda standing there in the doorway. She was wearing a blue plaid robe with a gray shirt and sweatpants. As you looked down, you were also dressed differently in sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. You knew that you had went to sleep wearing something different. Did she change your clothes?

You glanced to a calendar on the wall beside the mirror, and for some reason you didn’t gasp in shock to realize that you were in an entirely different decade. You only smiled at Wanda and told her good morning, completely involuntarily. Wanda grinned and tilted her head, and in the look on her face you realized that she was controlling you and that she had been all along. You were in her forcefield that she built around you, and she certainly was never, ever going to let you leave.

[formlab]

NASA

💥Who knew breaking barriers could look so good?💥 Swipe through to see the first air-to-air images of a supersonic shock wave interaction! When aircraft fly faster than the speed of sound, shockwaves travel away from them and are heard on the ground as a sonic boom. With exceptional clarity, @NASAAero captured the flow of these shock waves from supersonic aircraft in 2019, and for the first time, the interaction of the shocks in flight. Originally monochromatic and shown in our first two pictures as colorized composites, these images are the product of an updated camera system aboard one of our research planes. Researchers use this imagery to study shockwaves as part of our effort to make sonic booms quieter, which may open the future to possible supersonic flight over land! This same imaging system is being prepared to capture data crucial to validating the design of our X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology X-plane, which will fly supersonic, but will produce shockwaves in such a way that only a quiet thump may be heard. Credit: NASA

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQt_2JjJMW-/ #SuperSonic #NASA #AirplaneLovers #Flying #Aero #AvGeek

[usafphantom2]

Lockheed Martin X-59 starts structural tests on the ground

Scale model is also undergoing tests on wind tunnels.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/05/2022 - 14:00 in Technology

The X-59 QueSST aircraft is currently at Lockheed Martin, Texas, undergoing structural and fuel system tests. The "silent" supersonic jet is scheduled to fly this year.

The X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft was assembled in 2021 on behalf of NASA at Lockheed Martin's "Skunk Works" in Palmdale, California. This was followed by well-packaged road transport to Texas.

Meanwhile, engineers from NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology (CST) project recently used a small model of the X-59 in the supersonic wind tunnel of NASA's Glenn Research Center to visualize sonic bang reduction technology and validate its sonic bang prediction capabilities.

The model - about one and a half meters long - was tested in the wind tunnel for weeks, generating shock waves that were recorded by special cameras mounted outside the test section and a unique set of sensors inside.

The unique Schlieren images of the cameras provide engineers with a visualization of shock waves and their positions as air flows around the model. The sensor provides detailed measurements of the impact force. The test results are encouraging, NASA said, since the shock waves generated by the model correspond to previous computer models for quieter supersonic flight, both in position and magnitude.

The scale model will be taken to Tokyo in March for further wind tunnel verification tests with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Boeing.

At the end of 2022, NASA and Lockheed Martin plan to start initial flight tests to demonstrate the airworthiness of the X-59.

The X-59 is designed to reduce the volume of the sonic boom produced when an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound for a smooth and low 'threath'. The X-Plane will demonstrate this by flying over populated areas in the US from 2024, while NASA collects data that can open the future for commercial supersonic flights over land.

Tags: Lockheed MartinQueSST - Quiet Supersonic TechnologySkunkworksTechnologysupersonic flightX-59

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several air events and operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.

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