X-planes: Are they needed in the new era of drones?

The X-59's elongated snout is designed to flatten supersonic booms into tolerable bumps in the background.

On top of its bizarre appearance, the X-59 boasts a remarkable lineage. It's the latest in a series of experimental Nasa aircraft dating back to 1947 and the first plane to break the sound barrier, the Bell X-1.

Nasa is flying the X-59 in conjunction with community surveys to assess what people think when a supersonic boom is bent by the planes stretched nose and hushed up. The X-59's cockpit and ejector seat were taken from a T-38 training jet, its landing gear was borrowed from an F-16 fighter, and its engine came courtesy of the F-18.

Despite being relatively cheap drones are being rapidly developed - not least in Ukraine's war against Russia. Even Nasa considered an uncrewed X-59 but removed the pilot would have added the cost and complication of certifying a robot jet to fly fast over urban areas.

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