Are X-planes still vital in the age of drones?

The X-59 is a distinctive experimental aircraft currently conducting flights over the United States. Designed with an elongated nose resembling an anteater’s snout, the plane aims to reshape the sonic boom generated when breaking the sound barrier into a softer thud. This innovation seeks to overcome the restrictions that previously confined supersonic travel over land, a limitation that ended the Concorde era.

Part of NASA’s long-running X-plane program dating back to 1947, the X-59 represents a philosophy of focusing on narrow, achievable goals. Peter Coen, the program manager, explained that the strategy is to limit objectives to keep costs down. For the X-59, the singular mission is gathering data on how communities perceive attenuated sonic booms.

Constructed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the aircraft is a composite of parts from various military jets, including a cockpit and ejector seat from a T-38, landing gear from an F-16, and an engine from an F/A-18. Because the long nose blocks forward visibility, the pilot relies on a camera feed displayed on a screen. Coen estimates the sound of the plane flying at Mach 1 will resemble a car door closing nearby.

While drones are being rapidly deployed in conflicts such as Ukraine, NASA considered an uncrewed version of the X-59. However, certifying a drone to fly supersonically over populated areas would have introduced significant complexity and expense. Additionally, the aircraft needed to be large enough to mimic an airliner’s acoustic signature, which required space for a cockpit.

Chris Yeo, a former pilot of the UK’s Experimental Aircraft Programme, emphasized that while drones are valuable, human pilots provide critical feedback that cannot be fully replicated. Tony Godbold of BAE Systems noted that a new UK technology demonstrator, set to fly in 2028, serves as the