Boom's supersonic demonstrator aircraft, the XB-1, achieves supersonic flight, a step closer to realizing the first supersonic passenger aircraft since the Concorde.



This article, originally posted in Japanese on 12:30 Jan 29, 2025, may contains some machine-translated parts.
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On January 28, 2025,

Boom , an aircraft development company based in Denver, USA, achieved the first supersonic flight in a test flight of the demonstrator aircraft ' XB-1 '. This is the first manned supersonic flight by a private company since the Concorde was retired in 2003, and Boom is also developing the commercial supersonic passenger aircraft ' Overture '.

Boom - FlyBy - Boom Achieves Supersonic Flight
https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/boom-achieves-supersonic-flight



Civilian jet breaks sound barrier during historic test flight over Mojave Desert - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/xb-1-baby-boom-jet-supersonic-breaks-sound-barrier/

Boom is an aircraft development startup founded in 2014, aiming to develop the first supersonic passenger aircraft since Concorde, 'Overture'. In 2020, it announced the 'XB-1', a supersonic flight demonstrator aircraft. XB-1 is an aircraft to verify the technology required for Overture's supersonic flight, and since its first flight in March 2024, it has conducted 11 manned test flights and steadily increased its flight speed.

Announcement of 'XB-1', a prototype of a supersonic passenger aircraft flying at Mach 2.2 - GIGAZINE



And on January 28, 2025, the XB-1 took off from Mojave Airport in California and finally achieved the first supersonic flight in a civilian aircraft since the Concorde. You can see the XB-1 actually achieve supersonic speed in the video embedded in the X post below.



XB-1 on standby on the runway.



The pilot was Tristan Gepetto Brandenburg.



He gets in with a serious look on his face.



The XB-1 takes off down the runway.



The plane takes off with its nose pointing up.




XB-1 flying overhead.



At an altitude of 35,000 feet (about 10.7 km), the aircraft exceeded the speed of sound (Mach 1), achieving the first manned civilian supersonic flight since the retirement of the Concorde. The maximum speed during the test flight was reportedly Mach 1.122 (about 1374 km).



The XB-1 then landed safely on the runway.



Pilot Brandenburg shared his joy with the team members, commenting, 'It has been a highlight of my career and an honor to be part of the team that achieved this milestone. Every member of this team was essential to our success.'



XB-1 is a demonstrator aircraft for verifying Overture's key technologies, and various technologies demonstrated in XB-1 will also be applied to Overture, such as the 'augmented reality vision system' that makes it easier to see the runway during takeoff and landing, 'digitally optimized aerodynamics' adopted after simulating thousands of designs, 'carbon fiber composite materials' that realize strength and light weight, and 'supersonic air intake ' that efficiently converts kinetic energy into pressure energy.

Overture has already received 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, Japan Airlines, and others, and Boom plans to build an Overture super factory in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2024 to prepare a system capable of manufacturing 66 Overtures per year. Overture and its custom propulsion system, Symphony, are also designed with sustainability in mind, being designed to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) .

'XB-1's supersonic flight marks the arrival of supersonic passenger flight technology,' said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom. 'What previously required governments and billions of dollars in funding has been accomplished by a small group of talented and dedicated engineers. Next, we will scale up XB-1's technology for the Overture supersonic passenger aircraft. Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone.'

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