NASA has made a rather alarming revelation about its forthcoming X-59 QueSST supersonic jet.
The plane, which is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound, has no forward-facing window, meaning the pilot will have to rely on a 4K monitor to see traffic in his or her flight path.
The monitor displays images stitched together from two cameras outside the aircraft, combined with terrain data from an advanced computing system.
This will provide additional visual aids for airport approaches, landings and takeoffs, according to NASA.
Either side of the display are two real windows, allowing the pilot to see the horizon. The traditional canopy is also made from glass.
The 4K monitor is part of the aircraft's eXternal Visibility System (XVS) - one of several innovations designed to ensure the X-59 doesn't create a sonic boom.
According to Lockheed Martin, which is building the X-59 for NASA, the sound of the aircraft breaking through the sound barrier will be .
NASA describes the sound as a "gentle thump," but claims it may not be heard at all by people on the ground.
“The long, slender design of the aircraft is the key to achieving a low sonic boom," said Lockheed Martin programme manager Peter Iosifidis.
The X-59 will be able to travel from New York to London in three hours, but it is not intended to ever carry passengers.
However, the boom-suppressing technology could help lift current bans on supersonic flight over land, and enable a new generation of quiet supersonic commercial aircraft.
"This aircraft has the potential to transform aviation in the United States and around the world by making faster-than-sound air travel over land possible for everyone," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
The X-59 will conduct its first flight in 2021.
