CAME, SOARED AND CONCORDE

A 'SON of Concorde' that could fly from London to New York in under four hours is about to take off.

- BY DEAN MURRAY

NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is undergoing final safety tests before making its first flight.

The aircraft is projected to fly at Mach 1.5, or approximately 1,590kph, meaning it could potentially fly nonstop from the UK's capital to the Big Apple in approximately three hours and 44 minutes.