Son of Concorde

London to New York in just FOUR hours with an impressive supersonic plane of the future

An impressive aircraft that can whizz from London to New York in just four hours is almost ready to take-off. NASA's X-59 is a supersonic research aircraft which is expected to reach speeds of up to 990mph, faster than the speed of sound. Such a quick rate means the vehicle could technically fly from the capital of the UK to New York in around three hours and 44 minutes. This is astonishingly fast compared to commercial flights which typically take seven to eight hours to complete the transatlantic journey. It is currently undergoing the final safety tests before it can make its debut flight. Incredible supersonic plane of the future dubbed ‘Son of Concorde’.

A supersonic jet that could fly from London to New York in under four hours is preparing for takeoff. NASA’s X-59 is having final safety checks before making a historic maiden flight. The futuristic jet is projected to cruise at Mach 1.5, or around 1595 km/h, potentially cutting the transatlantic journey down to just three hours and 44 minutes. Standard commercial flights typically take seven to eight hours. On 18 Aug, 2025, NASA X-59 maintenance teams conducted a crucial hydrazine safety check at US Air Force Plant 42, validating the toxic but vital backup system for in-flight engine restart before the aircraft’s first flight. The X-59 aircraft is undergoing final safety tests before making its first flight. Hydrazine, a highly corrosive chemical, poses significant health risks including skin burns and respiratory damage. The safety check ensures the reliability of this critical system, which is one of several safety features being tested to ensure the X-59 can safely achieve quiet supersonic flight.

Described as 'quiet', the aircraft's special design means it will make a thump noise instead of a loud sonic boom. This is a change from other planes which were so loud they were seen as unsuitable for flying over populated areas. Instead, X-59 boasts a thin, tapered nose which accounts for almost a third of its length and breaks up the shock waves which usually result in a supersonic aircraft causing a sonic boom. Unlike Concorde, which rattled windows with ear-splitting booms, the X-59 is designed to produce only a muted “sonic thump” , a softer sound likened to a car door slamming across the street. The sleek aircraft is currently being tested at California, where engineers are scrutinising its safety systems. Its maiden flight will be a low-altitude loop at about 390km/h to check system integration, before ramping up to higher, faster test flights that will eventually break the sound barrier. 

This is astonishingly fast compared to commercial flights that typically take seven to eight hours to complete the transatlantic journey. The $247.5 million jet has been dubbed the 'Son of Concorde', after a famous aircraft which made a sonic boom when it hit speeds faster than sound. The impressive aircraft's first flight won't reach its full speed potential just to check the system integration and further tests will look at the jet's safety and 'airworthiness'. “Son of Concorde” could usher in a new golden age of super-fast passenger travel, halving journey times across the Atlantic. The X-59 has already notched up a series of milestones on the ground. However, the X-59 will eventually be flown at its full potential and exceed the speed of sound in higher and faster upcoming tests. A spokesperson for the NASA Armstrong test centre said: 'As NASA's one-of-a-kind X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft approaches first flight, its team is mapping every step from taxi and takeoff to cruising and landing - and their decision-making is guided by safety.'

In July, engineers successfully carried out low-speed taxiing tests, with the stiletto-nosed plane moving under its own power for the first time. NASA explained: “These checks help ensure the aircraft’s stability and control across a range of conditions, giving pilots and engineers confidence that all systems are functioning as expected.” Project manager Lori Ozoroski said the research could finally end the 50-year ban on supersonic passenger flights over land. She explained: We had a commercial supersonic aircraft, the Concorde. But it was limited during its flights that it could not fly, say into, you know, somewhere in the middle of the US. You were not allowed to fly supersonic over land. So most of the flights were back and forth just over the ocean. And so again, that ban has been in place for 50 years, over 50 years in the US. A lot of international countries as well have similar bans. “And so the whole goal of this research that we’re doing right now is to lift that ban and set a speed limit for commercial supersonic aircraft rather than a speed limit.” She added: “The sound level is more like, we’ve done studies, it’s more like a car door closing, you know, across the street at your neighbour’s house rather than the very loud typical sonic boom.”

The jet has been developed by American aerospace firm Lockheed Martin after being awarded the $247.5 million design contract by NASA in 2016. '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 previously. It is currently undergoing the final safety tests before it can make its debut flight. 'In just a few short years we've gone from an ambitious concept to reality. The 30.3 metre-long jet with a 9-metre wingspan has already undergone wind tunnel tests in Tokyo, where engineers blasted a scale model with supersonic airflow to simulate speeds of Mach 1.4 (1490km/h). NASA hopes the plane’s sharp nose and long, slender wings will break up shockwaves into smaller ripples, preventing the huge ground-shaking blasts that plagued Concorde. If successful, the “Son of Concorde” could usher in a new golden age of super-fast passenger travel, halving journey times across the Atlantic. 'NASA's X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.' Meanwhile, one of the lead engineers involved with the new jet, Peter Coen, previously scoffed at the nickname. 'The X-59 is not, I repeat not, the son of Concorde, other than the general wing shape,' Coen, mission integration manager for NASA's Quesst mission, said last year.