Leap to Quiet Supersonic: X-59 QueSST Takes to Skies for First Time

America’s newest supersonic aircraft, the Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST, has made its maiden flight.

This was reported by the monitoring service Flightradar24.

It is not yet known whether the aircraft has broken the supersonic barrier.

However, the first flight was probably dedicated to checking the main flight systems – control, avionics, landing gear and other components.

The American aviation observer Jarod M. Hamilton published photos of the X-59 during a test flight on his X page.

X-59 is wild! pic.twitter.com/xnvINT8UX4

— jmh.creates (@JarodMHamilton) October 28, 2025

As is usually the case with experimental aircraft, the tests were conducted with the landing gear released.

The QueSST (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) program aims to develop technologies that will significantly reduce the noise level of supersonic aircraft.

This will open up the possibility of supersonic flights over populated areas, which is currently prohibited by international regulations.

The noise reduction of the X-59 QueSST is achieved due to the special aerodynamic shape of the airframe, which minimizes the number and strength of shock waves on the aircraft surface.

Among the key solutions is an elongated, sharp nose section that helps smooth out the sound impact.

Even those waves that do form should be much less intense than those of conventional supersonic aircraft.

The experimental aircraft, which is 28.7 meters long and has a wingspan of 9 meters, is accelerated by an F414-GE-100 turbojet engine.