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NASA Taps Lockheed Martin To Build Quiet Supersonic X-Plane

By Marc Selinger

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018

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NASA Taps Lockheed Martin To Build Quiet Supersonic X-Plane

An artist's rendering of the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator (Lockheed Martin photo)

NASA has awarded a $247.5 million contract to Lockheed Martin [LMT] to finish developing and build an airplane prototype that could someday pave the way for quiet, supersonic passenger jets.Under the contract, announced April 3, the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) will undergo a critical design review in September 2019 and be assembled at a Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, Calif. Flight testing is set to begin in the summer of 2021. Initial flights will verify that the single-seat, single-engine…

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