Quote:NASA's 'quiet' supersonic jet completes first flight in potential breakthrough for commercial air travel
X-59 aircraft designed to reduce sonic boom to a 'thump' could revolutionize commercial aviation
By Morgan Phillips Fox News
Published October 29, 2025 1:17pm EDT

A new "quiet" supersonic X-59 jet designed to revolutionize air travel successfully completed its first test flight, Lockheed Martin announced this week.

The sleek, needle-point aircraft built for NASA is designed to break the sound barrier while reducing the sonic boom to a "thump," according to the aerospace contractor. The aircraft aims to overcome one of the major hurdles to supersonic travel, which is noise restrictions over land.

The plane took off from Palmdale, Calif., at Skunk Works' facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42, accompanied by a NASA chase plane. It landed safely about an hour later at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center.

The plane’s unique shape is designed to greatly lower the volume of the sonic boom typically produced when a plane breaks the sound barrier.


X-59 took its first test flight, Lockheed announced. (David Swanson/Reuters)

The long, pointed nose prevents adequate forward-facing visibility, so the pilot flies relying on a monitor in the cockpit.

NASA has paid Lockheed over $500 million since 2018 to develop the plane.

The plane, which measures just under 100 feet nose to tail, flew at subsonic speeds on its first flight, around 230 mph and reached 12,000 feet.

The plane is built to eventually reach a cruising speed of 925 mph, or Mach 1.4, and fly at an altitude of 55,000 feet.

"This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development," OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said in a statement.

"X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The American spirit knows no bounds. It's part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. This work sustains America's place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies," said Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator.


The experimental quiet supersonic aircraft X-59, a collaboration of Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works and NASA, parked in a hangar in Palmdale, California.

The supersonic Concorde aircraft, developed by France and the U.K., began transatlantic flights in 1976, reached max speeds of over 1,300 mph and flew passengers from New York to London in just 3.5 hours.

But high operating costs meant ticket costs were about four times higher than a standard first-class ticket, and the supersonic boom meant the plane could only fly at such high speeds over water.

A crash in 2000 deeply affected public confidence in the plane, and it was retired in 2003.

NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities in the coming years, gathering public feedback that could help regulators update decades-old bans on supersonic flight over land.

If successful, the data could open the door for a new generation of commercial jets capable of cutting cross-country flight times in half — bringing back supersonic travel for the first time in more than two decades, but this time with far less noise.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nasas-q...air-travel

That looks really cool! Hope it gets approved soon. (Provided it's safe enough for commercial flight.)

(10-30-2025 07:17 AM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  That looks really cool! Hope it gets approved soon. (Provided it's safe enough for commercial flight.)

Well, that's the whole purpose of its creation.

When I first saw the photo, I thought, "How the hell do the pilots see out of the cockpit?"

Answer: They don't. They fly by instrument.

There is also a company in North Carolina working on a "Boomless" plane. Their website is worth perusing thru if your are into airplane tech.

https://boomsupersonic.com/boomless-cruise

(10-30-2025 07:51 AM)RuckleSt Wrote:  There is also a company in North Carolina working on a "Boomless" plane. There website is worth perusing thru if your are into airplane tech.

https://boomsupersonic.com/boomless-cruise

Very cool. Thanks.

That's really cool! Thanks, Ruckle. (Stuff like this makes me wish I had gone into aerospace engineering. Very fascinating stuff.)

They look rather slender to me, where would you fit the passengers, laying them down? Jus sayin'. *shrugging*

(10-30-2025 09:42 AM)olliebaba Wrote:  They look rather slender to me, where would you fit the passengers, laying them down? Jus sayin'. *shrugging*

Just a guess but this is probably a small scale version of what would become a commercial plane in the future.

(10-30-2025 07:51 AM)RuckleSt Wrote:  There is also a company in North Carolina working on a "Boomless" plane. Their website is worth perusing thru if your are into airplane tech.

https://boomsupersonic.com/boomless-cruise

Looks like storage will be in this tail instead of the belly.

I used to toss that plane at an orange plastic hoop laying on the ground in my back yard in the 70s. I thought they banned lawn darts.

(10-30-2025 11:29 AM)banker Wrote:  I used to toss that plane at an orange plastic hoop laying on the ground in my back yard in the 70s. I thought they banned lawn darts.

(10-30-2025 07:15 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

Quote:NASA's 'quiet' supersonic jet completes first flight in potential breakthrough for commercial air travel
X-59 aircraft designed to reduce sonic boom to a 'thump' could revolutionize commercial aviation
By Morgan Phillips Fox News
Published October 29, 2025 1:17pm EDT

A new "quiet" supersonic X-59 jet designed to revolutionize air travel successfully completed its first test flight, Lockheed Martin announced this week.

The sleek, needle-point aircraft built for NASA is designed to break the sound barrier while reducing the sonic boom to a "thump," according to the aerospace contractor. The aircraft aims to overcome one of the major hurdles to supersonic travel, which is noise restrictions over land.

The plane took off from Palmdale, Calif., at Skunk Works' facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42, accompanied by a NASA chase plane. It landed safely about an hour later at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center.

The plane’s unique shape is designed to greatly lower the volume of the sonic boom typically produced when a plane breaks the sound barrier.


X-59 took its first test flight, Lockheed announced. (David Swanson/Reuters)

The long, pointed nose prevents adequate forward-facing visibility, so the pilot flies relying on a monitor in the cockpit.

NASA has paid Lockheed over $500 million since 2018 to develop the plane.

The plane, which measures just under 100 feet nose to tail, flew at subsonic speeds on its first flight, around 230 mph and reached 12,000 feet.

The plane is built to eventually reach a cruising speed of 925 mph, or Mach 1.4, and fly at an altitude of 55,000 feet.

"This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development," OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said in a statement.

"X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The American spirit knows no bounds. It's part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. This work sustains America's place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies," said Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator.


The experimental quiet supersonic aircraft X-59, a collaboration of Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works and NASA, parked in a hangar in Palmdale, California.

The supersonic Concorde aircraft, developed by France and the U.K., began transatlantic flights in 1976, reached max speeds of over 1,300 mph and flew passengers from New York to London in just 3.5 hours.

But high operating costs meant ticket costs were about four times higher than a standard first-class ticket, and the supersonic boom meant the plane could only fly at such high speeds over water.

A crash in 2000 deeply affected public confidence in the plane, and it was retired in 2003.

NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities in the coming years, gathering public feedback that could help regulators update decades-old bans on supersonic flight over land.

If successful, the data could open the door for a new generation of commercial jets capable of cutting cross-country flight times in half — bringing back supersonic travel for the first time in more than two decades, but this time with far less noise.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nasas-q...air-travel

There's something off between those two photos if they are supposed to be actual photos of the same aircraft.

(10-30-2025 11:29 AM)banker Wrote:  I used to toss that plane at an orange plastic hoop laying on the ground in my back yard in the 70s. I thought they banned lawn darts.

yes they did ... we threw 'em overhand playin' lawn jart dodgeball ...

I aint gettin in that thing.

(10-30-2025 12:58 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(10-30-2025 07:15 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

Quote:NASA's 'quiet' supersonic jet completes first flight in potential breakthrough for commercial air travel
X-59 aircraft designed to reduce sonic boom to a 'thump' could revolutionize commercial aviation
By Morgan Phillips Fox News
Published October 29, 2025 1:17pm EDT

A new "quiet" supersonic X-59 jet designed to revolutionize air travel successfully completed its first test flight, Lockheed Martin announced this week.

The sleek, needle-point aircraft built for NASA is designed to break the sound barrier while reducing the sonic boom to a "thump," according to the aerospace contractor. The aircraft aims to overcome one of the major hurdles to supersonic travel, which is noise restrictions over land.

The plane took off from Palmdale, Calif., at Skunk Works' facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42, accompanied by a NASA chase plane. It landed safely about an hour later at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center.

The plane’s unique shape is designed to greatly lower the volume of the sonic boom typically produced when a plane breaks the sound barrier.


X-59 took its first test flight, Lockheed announced. (David Swanson/Reuters)

The long, pointed nose prevents adequate forward-facing visibility, so the pilot flies relying on a monitor in the cockpit.

NASA has paid Lockheed over $500 million since 2018 to develop the plane.

The plane, which measures just under 100 feet nose to tail, flew at subsonic speeds on its first flight, around 230 mph and reached 12,000 feet.

The plane is built to eventually reach a cruising speed of 925 mph, or Mach 1.4, and fly at an altitude of 55,000 feet.

"This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development," OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said in a statement.

"X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The American spirit knows no bounds. It's part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. This work sustains America's place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies," said Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator.


The experimental quiet supersonic aircraft X-59, a collaboration of Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works and NASA, parked in a hangar in Palmdale, California.

The supersonic Concorde aircraft, developed by France and the U.K., began transatlantic flights in 1976, reached max speeds of over 1,300 mph and flew passengers from New York to London in just 3.5 hours.

But high operating costs meant ticket costs were about four times higher than a standard first-class ticket, and the supersonic boom meant the plane could only fly at such high speeds over water.

A crash in 2000 deeply affected public confidence in the plane, and it was retired in 2003.

NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities in the coming years, gathering public feedback that could help regulators update decades-old bans on supersonic flight over land.

If successful, the data could open the door for a new generation of commercial jets capable of cutting cross-country flight times in half — bringing back supersonic travel for the first time in more than two decades, but this time with far less noise.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nasas-q...air-travel

There's something off between those two photos if they are supposed to be actual photos of the same aircraft.

I noticed that, too. The first photo in the air looks like the real deal to me. The second photo seems to be a concept drawing, and the caption writer didn't realize it.

Those two planes are not even close to each other in size and shape. Since the first one looks like an actual photo, I would go with that one.