Quiet supersonic jet will halve the time it takes to get around the globe

XVS/EFVS systems provide forward visibility

Extended, equivalent area – matching nose shapes forward shock

Lockheed Martin’s Quiet Supersonic Technology Airliner (QSTA) is the shape of things to come. The sleek airliner will carry 40 passengers each side of a single aisle.

Cruising at 55,000ft with a top speed of Mach 1.6 (1,227mph) it will halve long-haul flight times. Features include a hummingbird nose, movable V-shaped tail and a cockpit

Wing shielding eliminates inlet spillage contamination signature

Sweet supersonic laminar flow for increased range and reduced emissions

with computer screens instead of windows, a design that delivers an almost silent sonic boom. This, says Lockheed Martin, is the key to commercial success as it will allow the jet to cross continents rather than just oceans.

If the ban on overland supersonic flight is overturned, the first passenger planes should be airborne within a decade.

Picture: NASA POINTING TO THE FUTURE: The X-59 has space-age lines yet reflects the elegance of 1960s Concorde (inset)