NASA’s experimental X-59 QueSST, also known as the “flying swordfish,” has officially made its first test flight, marking a major milestone in the future of quiet supersonic travel. Developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin, the sleek, needle-nosed aircraft lifted off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, on October 28, 2025, and safely landed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.

While the maiden flight was subsonic, reaching speeds of around 230 miles per hour at 12,000 feet, it successfully demonstrated the aircraft’s fundamental systems and stability. Future test flights will push the X-59 to supersonic speeds, where NASA will evaluate its ability to drastically reduce the loud “sonic boom” to a soft “sonic thump.” The ultimate goal of the Quesst program is to pave the way for regulations that could one day allow commercial supersonic flights over land, revolutionizing air travel as we know it.

(Sources: Live Science, NASA, Lockheed Martin)

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Last Updated on November 9, 2025 by Daily News Staff

Image Credit: Archer Aviation

From Olympic Dreams to Take-Off Plans

Back in our feature “Flying Taxis and Olympic Dreams: Will LA28 Be the Jetsons Era in Real Life?” we explored whether Los Angeles could become the first city to showcase flying taxis on the global stage during the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Now, that futuristic vision has gained some serious thrust. Archer Aviation — one of the leading players in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft — has announced a major move that could change how the city thinks about air mobility.

Archer Takes Control of Hawthorne Airport

In a landmark deal, Archer announced plans to acquire control of Hawthorne Airport — just three miles from LAX — for approximately $126 million in cash.

The 80-acre site, home to 190,000 square feet of hangars and terminal facilities, will become the company’s operational hub for its Los Angeles air-taxi network and a testbed for AI-driven aviation technology.

Alongside the purchase, Archer raised an additional $650 million in new equity funding, bringing its liquidity to more than $2 billion — a strong signal that the company is serious about turning concept into concrete.

What This Means for LA’s Mobility Future

This isn’t just a real estate move. It’s a strategic infrastructure play.

If Los Angeles is to handle Olympic crowds and long-term congestion, new vertical mobility hubs are essential. Hawthorne could serve as the first of several vertiports forming a network across the metro area.

It also puts Archer in a prime position to work alongside city planners and mobility partners preparing for the LA28 Games — potentially transforming how visitors move between venues, airports, and downtown.

Caution: Not Quite “Jetsons” Yet

While this progress looks promising, it’s not smooth skies ahead just yet.

FAA certification remains the biggest hurdle; only about 15% of compliance documentation has been approved. Production and scaling still pose risks — building and maintaining a fleet of electric aircraft at commercial levels isn’t cheap. Public acceptance will matter too. Even the quietest aircraft need to earn the city’s trust for noise, cost, and safety.

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Still, compared to even a year ago, the vision of air taxis over Los Angeles feels far less like science fiction.

A Step Toward the Olympic Future

Archer’s move aligns perfectly with the question we raised earlier:

Can Los Angeles turn the 2028 Olympics into a showcase for sustainable, futuristic transportation?

By securing its own hub near LAX and backing it with fresh capital, Archer seems determined to make that answer a yes. Whether passengers will be hailing flying taxis in time for LA28 remains uncertain, but the groundwork — both financial and physical — is clearly being laid.

The skies over LA might just get busier — and cleaner — in the years to come.

Related Reading

• Flying Taxis and Olympic Dreams: Will LA28 Be the Jetsons Era in Real Life?
• Archer To Acquire Los Angeles Airport As Strategic Air Taxi Network
• HubTokyo Selects Archer’s Midnight Aircraft for First eVTOL Implementation Program

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Last Updated on September 4, 2025 by Daily News Staff

Super F-35

Lockheed Martin is quietly shaping the future of its flagship fighter, the F-35 Lightning II. With the U.S. Air Force pushing ahead on the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program — and Boeing recently securing the lead — Lockheed is looking at another path: evolving the F-35 into a “supercharged” version that could rival sixth-generation fighters at a fraction of the cost.

And here’s the twist: some of these concepts are drawing inspiration from the legendary Northrop YF-23, the stealth fighter that nearly became America’s premier air superiority jet back in the 1990s.

From F-35 to “Super F-35”

Lockheed executives have acknowledged the need to keep the F-35 relevant as adversaries field more advanced aircraft. CEO Jim Taiclet described the strategy as offering “80% of sixth-generation capability at roughly 50% of the cost.”

Rather than starting from scratch, the plan is to inject sixth-gen technologies into the F-35 platform, improving stealth, sensors, and weapons integration. Several proposed variants have been floated:

F-35D – Incremental improvements in range, sensors, and mission systems. F-35EX – A more radical redesign with new aerodynamics, canards, and possibly thrust vectoring. F-35FX / F-35GX – Experimental concepts featuring tailless delta or diamond-shaped designs, increased fuel capacity, and even greater stealth profiles.

Lockheed’s message is clear: the F-35 can still be stretched far beyond its current form.

Northrop YF-23 PAV-1 in flight.

Enter the YF-23 Connection

The YF-23, also known as the “Black Widow II,” was Northrop’s sleek, stealthy competitor to Lockheed’s YF-22 during the 1990 Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition. While the YF-22 eventually evolved into the F-22 Raptor, many aviation enthusiasts still regard the YF-23 as a superior design in stealth and speed.

Now, decades later, Darold Cummings — the original designer of the YF-23 — is influencing proposals for upgraded F-35 variants. His ideas bring echoes of the YF-23’s innovation, including:

Stretched fuselage for more fuel and better aerodynamics. Canard foreplanes to improve agility and control. Thrust vectoring engines that could eliminate the need for a vertical tail, reducing radar signature.

In effect, Lockheed may be merging proven YF-23 design philosophies with the global production and versatility of the F-35.

Why It Matters

The F-35 is already the world’s most widely adopted stealth fighter, serving over a dozen allied nations. A “super-F-35” would:

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Extend the aircraft’s service life well into the 2040s and beyond. Offer allies a more affordable alternative to costly sixth-gen programs. Potentially outpace rivals like China’s J-20 and Russia’s Su-57 by evolving faster than new programs can mature.

If even part of these concepts reach production, the F-35 may transform from a fifth-generation fighter into a bridge to sixth-generation air combat — carrying a touch of the YF-23’s DNA into the future.

Final Thoughts

Lockheed’s proposals remain just that — proposals. Whether the Pentagon or international partners are willing to fund radical upgrades is still an open question. But the idea of a YF-23-inspired Super F-35 has captured the imagination of aviation fans, blending a lost legend of the past with the frontline fighter of today.

If Lockheed pulls it off, the “Lightning II” may yet live up to its name in ways no one expected.

🔗 Related Reading:

• Trump floats possible new F-55 warplane and F-22 upgrade (Reuters)

• Trump’s vision for a twin-engine F-55 fighter jet faces reality check (Reuters)

Dive into “The Knowledge,” where curiosity meets clarity. This playlist, in collaboration with STMDailyNews.com, is designed for viewers who value historical accuracy and insightful learning. Our short videos, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute and a half, make complex subjects easy to grasp in no time. Covering everything from historical events to contemporary processes and entertainment, “The Knowledge” bridges the past with the present. In a world where information is abundant yet often misused, our series aims to guide you through the noise, preserving vital knowledge and truths that shape our lives today. Perfect for curious minds eager to discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything around us. Subscribe and join in as we explore the facts that matter.  https://stmdailynews.com/the-knowledge/