NASA has achieved a significant milestone in its effort to make supersonic passenger jet travel over land a real possibility by completing the preliminary design review (PDR) of its Quiet Supersonic Transport or QueSST aircraft design. QueSST is the initial design stage of NASA’s planned Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental airplane, otherwise known as an X-plane. Source 1b
NASA X-Plane (Hover)
Well now, it appears that in the not too distant future we'll be winding to places in the half the time it takes today. The majority of the time in the air will be getting to cruising speed and altitude and then circling once you get to your destination waiting for the authorization to land. This will cut hours off of longer trips.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Palmdale, California, was selected for the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration contract, a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract valued at $247.5 million. Work under the contract began April 2 and runs through Dec. 31, 2021. Source 8r.