The XB-1 reached Mach 1.1 on January 28 above the Mojave Desert in California, passing the sound barrier on three separate occasions during the flight. The demonstrator has been undergoing a test programme since March 2024, paving the way for Boom’s Overture aircraft, which is targeting speeds up to Mach 1.7 carrying 64-80 passengers.
“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived,” said Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl.
XB-1 and Overture have both been designed using carbon fibre composites and ‘digitally-optimised aerodynamics’ that rely heavily on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Similar to Concorde, both aircraft feature long noses and high angles of attack which obscures pilot views of the runway during take-off and landing. Rather than Concorde’s moveable nose cone, Boom has developed an augmented reality vision system to provide runway visibility.
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Overture already has 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines. In 2024, Boom completed construction on its ‘Overture Superfactory’ in North Carolina which it said will be capable of delivering 66 Overture aircraft per year. It's also claimed that Overture and its bespoke propulsion system, Symphony, will be capable of running on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
XB-1’s supersonic flight took place in the same airspace where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947 in the Bell X-1. Piloted by Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, the demonstrator flight marks the first human-piloted civil supersonic flight since Concorde’s retirement in 2003.
“It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of the team that achieved this milestone—every single member of this team was critical to our success,” said Brandenburg, chief test pilot for Boom Supersonic.
“Our discipline and methodical approach to this flight test program created the safety culture that made a safe and successful first supersonic flight possible. With the lessons learned from XB-1, we can continue to build the future of supersonic travel.”
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