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
    10·
    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
      17·
      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
        11·
        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.

        • DefederateLemmyMl@feddit.nlEnglish
          1·
          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.