Swift Engineering Inc., in collaboration with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, has successfully designed and delivered the 38-foot-long nose cone for NASA s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (Quesst) aircraft, achieving a 25% weight reduction through the use of Collier Aerospace s HyperX structural analysis and optimization software.

Originally specified as a 400-pound structure, Swift Engineering s optimized nose cone met stringent stiffness and deformation requirements while removing 100 pounds of mass. Engineers used a honeycomb sandwich structure with carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy skins and ran more than 270 critical load cases to validate safety margins. HyperX enabled rapid stress analysis automation, detailed failure analysis, and manufacturability optimization, compressing certification timelines and ensuring delivery ahead of schedule and under budget.

The only way we were going to meet the tight project deadline was to automate the stress analysis, said Bill Giannetti, technical consultant at Swift Engineering. HyperX not only delivered mass savings but also generated the full certification-ready stress reports.

The nose cone, a critical feature for shaping aerodynamic shock waves, plays a key role in the X-59 s mission to reduce sonic boom intensity and establish acceptable noise standards for future commercial supersonic aircraft. Ground testing of the X-59 began in mid-2025 ahead of first flight.

Source: collieraerospace.com