NASA has awarded a contract to create a relatively quiet supersonic jet plane to Lockheed Martin:
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Palmdale, California, was selected for the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration contract, a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract valued at $247.5 million. Work under the contract began April 2 and runs through Dec. 31, 2021.
Under this contract, Lockheed Martin will complete the design and fabrication of an experimental aircraft, known as an X-plane, which will cruise at 55,000 feet at a speed of about 940 mph and create a sound about as loud as a car door closing, 75 Perceived Level decibel (PLdB), instead of a sonic boom.
NASA plans to fly the "X-plane" over U.S. cities starting in 2022 in order to "collect data about community responses to the flights".
Also at Popular Mechanics, Newsweek, and Wired.
Previously: NASA Quesst Project - Quiet Supersonic Transport
Concorde Without the Cacophony: NASA Thinks It's Cracked Quiet Supersonic Flight
NASA Tests Light, Foldable Plane Wings for Supersonic Flights
Trump Administration Supports NASA's Quieter Supersonic Plane Design
(Score: 3, Funny) by turgid on Wednesday April 04 2018, @04:02PM
If they paint the stars and stripes on it the clapping and cheering will drown out any noise from the aircraft.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].