A new supersonic jet that could cut the flying time between London and New York to four hours has been unveiled by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) and US space agency NASA.
Nicknamed 'Son of Concorde', the X-59 jet cruises at a speed of almost 940 miles an hour but unlike its predecessor doesn’t herald its presence with loud sonic booms as the sound barrier is broken.
Costing US$247.5 million to develop, the X-59’s relative quiet stems from engineering innovation that sees the nose account for a third of the plane’s length to break up the shock waves that accompany supersonic travel.
"This is a major accomplishment made possible only through the hard work and ingenuity from NASA and the entire X-59 team," said NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy.
"In just a few short years we've gone from an ambitious concept to reality."
A first flight is scheduled for later this year which, if successful, will be followed by the first supersonic attempt.