Boom Supersonic’s experimental jet, XB-1, successfully broke the sound barrier three times during its 13th and final test flight on Monday. The aircraft lifted off from the Mojave Air & Space Port in southeastern California and flew for about 41 minutes at supersonic speeds.
The XB-1 is a piloted pathfinder vehicle designed to pave the way for Boom’s planned commercial supersonic jet, Overture. The demonstrator is one-third the size of Overture, which will seat 64 to 80 passengers.
During the flight, Boom’s chief test pilot, Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, and the company’s chief test engineer, Nick Sheryka, repeated their earlier feat of breaking the sound barrier at sea level. The successful flight took place six times, demonstrating that a startup can design, develop, and test a supersonic aircraft safely.
The achievement is a significant step closer to bringing back supersonic commercial flight, a feat pioneered by the British-French Concorde. Boom aims to bring Overture into service in less than four years, with the goal of making thrust on its Symphony engines at the end of this year and starting construction on the first aircraft 18 months later.
The company’s founder and CEO, Blake Scholl, said that the success of the XB-1 program means they can “go all in” on building Overture. The first commercial flight is expected to take place in 2029.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/tech/boom-supersonics-xb-1-jet-breaks-sound-barrier-3-times-on-final-test-flight-video-photos