Supersonic Flying Wing Nabs $100,000 from NASA
 

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 produced by a sonic boom — a major factor that previously limited where the supersonic Concorde passenger jet could fly over populated land masses. http://www.space.com/17393-supersoni...wing-nasa.html

Wow, that's very clever!

And just a little bit crazy.

Anyone else ever hear anything about the flight tech concept intended to create an ionisation process for the air immediately surrounding a supersonic vehicle, removing the shockwave? May have been bunkus.

http://i.space.com/images/i/21177/or...jpg?1346366748

That is totally weird.

I know that NASA is working on both flying wing designs and on measuring / minimising / eliminating sonic booms. But this is totally new.

Might prove less of a challenge than getting the Osprey to work reliably.

I find it difficult to assign the term 'totally weird' to any technology. Porn involving bodily fluids and dwarves on the other hand,,,,,,,

Maybe this post needs to be moved to the "NASA Looking at Dozens of Advanced Technology Concepts" thread

It is an interesting idea, but wouldn't the unemployed wing shape produce horrible drag in both configurations? Either that, or they would produce unwanted and uncontrolled lift?

There's a reason that A380's can't "knife edge".

The aircraft illustrated would not fly! That's just not how it works. Flying wings do not have that kind of profile. It's closest useful cousin is a four bladed boomerang, and those do not make for good aero plane designs.