The National Interest on MSN

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Plane Just Made Its First Flight

The X-59 is designed to transform the sonic boom associated with supersonic flight into a “sonic thump”—making it feasible to fly over populated areas.
The Aviationist

Boeing and Lockheed Martin Each Flew an X-Plane in Preparation for NGAD

After the U.S. Air Force selected the F-47, DARPA disclosed that Boeing and Lockheed Martin each built a demonstrator aircraft for NGAD, which first flew in 2019 and 2022. In another bit of ...
The National Interest on MSN

Bell X-1: How One Weird Plane Shattered the Sound Barrier

The X-1’s fuselage was designed to resemble a .50 caliber bullet—one of the only shapes known to have stable flight at ...
The Aviationist

Bell Releases First Image of X-Plane Model Used in Wind Tunnel Testing for DARPA SPRINT Program

The wind tunnel testing was carried out to validate the company’s Stop/Fold Jet Transition capability. Bell has completed wind tunnel testing of its X-plane model at the National Institute for ...
New Atlas

Bizarre flapless X-65 diamond-wing aircraft comes together

DARPA's X-65, that replaces conventional aircraft flight controls with puffs of air, is coming together at Boeing subsidiary Aurora’s Bridgeport, West Virginia facility. The fuselage is taking shape ...
Los Angeles Times

Father, son and ‘loyal companion’ dog die in amateur-built plane crash in Simi Valley

Residents in Simi Valley thought the small aircraft circling over the neighborhood on Saturday was part of an air show. The plane appeared to fly erratically, drawing closer and closer to the ground.