NASA, Lockheed Martin Reveal X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft - NASA
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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

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

  • crystalmerchant@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    10 months ago

    “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.

    What the hell is a production artisan?

    • DefederateLemmyMl@feddit.nlEnglish
      20·
      10 months ago

      Someone with the skills and knowledge to “manually” produce some of the many one-off parts that went into this prototype.

      The scientists and engineers may know what kind of part is needed, but it takes a different skillset to produce it.

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
        3·
        10 months ago

        So like the welders for the Russian rocket engines that were produced 50 years ago? Seems those welds are something we aren’t sure how they did it.

          • sugartits@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            10 months ago

            HOLLY: Oh, I forgot, I haven’t told you the news.

            RIMMER: What news?

            HOLLY: A signal. We’re getting a signal. It’s probably nothing but I just thought I’d mention it.

            RIMMER: (Snaps his fingers) Aliens!

            LISTER: Oh god, aliens? Your explanation for anything slightly peculiar is aliens, isn’t it? You lose your keys – it’s aliens. A picture falls off the wall – it’s aliens. That time we used up a whole bog roll in a day – you thought that was aliens as well.

            RIMMER: Well we didn’t use it all, Lister. Who did?

            LISTER: Rimmer, aliens used our bog roll?

            RIMMER: Just ‘cause they’re aliens doesn’t mean to say the don’t have to visit the little boys’ room. Only they probably do something weird and alienesque like it comes out of the top of their heads or something.

            LISTER: Well I wouldn’t like to be stuck behind one in a cinema.

        • DefederateLemmyMl@feddit.nlEnglish
          2·
          10 months ago

          Yeah something like that. Welding is absolutely something that requires skill and talent.

          I have a electromechanical engineering degree myself, at some point during my education we had some labs where we did basic welding, milling, lathing and whatnot. The intention was not to become experts at it, but to get notions of what it entails. I quickly understood that theoretical understanding and hands-on experience are entirely different things, and require an entirely different skillset.