On January 28, the US company Boom Supersonic’s experimental XB-1 aircraft achieved a speed greater than sound. According to New Scientist, the accomplishment marks the first time a civil aircraft has flown over the continental United States at supersonic speed. It is also a step toward the potential resurgence of supersonic commercial aviation.
Previously only achieved by government-led projects like the Concorde, this event makes the XB-1 the first independently developed supersonic jet worldwide and the first civil supersonic jet manufactured in the United States.
Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg piloted the aircraft.
The XB-1 ascended to a height of about 35,290 feet.
During its twelfth test flight, the aircraft reached Mach 1.122, or about 750 mph (1,207 km/h), and remained in supersonic speed for approximately four minutes.
This accomplishment is crucial for Boom Supersonic because it lays the groundwork for Overture, their next commercial airliner, which will be able to transport up to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7. Major airlines like United Airlines and American Airlines have already placed 130 pre-orders and orders with Overture.
Currently, only military fighter jets and bombers are capable of traveling at supersonic speeds. Despite operating transatlantic flights for decades beginning in the 1970s, the legendary commercial airliner Concorde retired in 2003 due to a number of issues, including high fuel prices and a fatal accident in 2000 that claimed the lives of all 109 people on board.
“This flight shows that the technology for passenger supersonic travel is viable and ready for development,” said Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom. He stated that the XB-1’s success will guide Overture’s engineering and design in an effort to make supersonic travel more widely available.
The XB-1’s success might signal a comeback for commercial supersonic travel. According to Boom Supersonic, the test flights will help design the Overture airliner, which is expected to carry up to 80 passengers and cruise at Mach 1.7. United and American Airlines have already placed orders for the aircraft, which the company plans to start building this year and start transporting passengers in 2029.
The XB-1’s successful supersonic flight is a landmark in aviation history, suggesting that commercial supersonic travel may resume almost twenty years after the Concorde was retired.
