A peculiar jet with an anteater-like nose, parts sourced from other aircraft, and a cockpit positioned so far back that the pilot relies on a camera for forward vision is flying over the US. This aircraft, the X-59, is designed to address the issue of sonic booms, which have historically limited supersonic travel over land. NASA is using the X-59's elongated nose to reduce these shockwaves to tolerable levels. The X-59 is part of a long lineage of experimental NASA aircraft dating back to 1947, including the Bell X-1, which was the first to break the sound barrier in 1947. Peter Coen, a NASA veteran managing the program, explains that X-planes are designed with specific, limited goals to keep costs down. For the X-59, the focus is solely on suppressing sonic booms. The X-59's design incorporates components from various aircraft, including the cockpit and ejector seat from a T-38 training jet, landing gear from an F-16 fighter, and an engine from an F-18. It first flew in 2025 and is now breaking the sound barrier over selected US towns. NASA conducted community surveys to gauge public acceptance of the modified sonic boom. Coen estimates the noise will be comparable to a car door closing across the street at Mach 1, around 660 mph at cruising altitude. Despite the rise of relatively cheap drones, particularly in conflicts like Ukraine's war against Russia, NASA considered an unmanned version of the X-59 but found that removing the pilot could add costs and complexity, especially for urban areas. NASA has experience with drone X-planes, such as the X-48, a scaled-down model of an airliner that flew in 2007. Coen suggests that future X-planes may be unmanned unless piloting technology or cost-effectiveness necessitates a crew. Guy Gratton, a professor at Cranfield University, argues that drones cannot fully replace crewed test planes, especially when carrying passengers. He emphasizes the value of human pilots in identifying issues and reducing the number of ground personnel needed for testing. The UK has its own technology testbeds, such as the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP) from 1986, which tested systems for the Typhoon fighter. Chris Yeo, a pilot involved with the EAP, notes the shared purpose with X-planes in testing flight technologies. A new UK technology demonstrator, described by Tony Godbold of BAE Systems as "the X-plane of our generation," is being developed to test ideas for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a fighter expected to fly in the 2030s. The project involves 100 UK suppliers, including Rolls-Royce, and will use engines from the existing Typhoon. The demonstrator is set to fly in 2028 and has generated excitement among the UK's small community of fast jet test pilots, many of whom have already tested it in flight simulators. Godbold highlights the political significance of the project, stating it underscores the UK's commitment to GCAP, a joint effort with Italy and Japan.