Prototype Aircraft Breaks Sound Barrier in Milestone Flight
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 jet has made history by becoming the first independently developed aircraft to achieve Mach 1.1. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A test aircraft developed by a US start-up has made history by breaking the sound barrier for the first time during a flight over California’s Mojave Desert, signaling what its creators believe could be a transformative era in air travel.
On Tuesday, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 jet became the first privately developed aircraft to reach Mach 1.1.
During the flight, chief test pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg flew the aircraft, which achieved supersonic speeds on three separate occasions. Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, described the event as “a big day for all of us, for America, for aviation, and for human progress.”
“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived,” Boom stated. Scholl further noted, “A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars.”
This test flight took place in the same region of airspace where, in 1947, US Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager became the first individual to break the sound barrier in the experimental Bell X-1 aircraft, reaching Mach 1.05 at an altitude of 45,000 feet.
The successful flight is a significant milestone towards the development of Boom’s commercial passenger aircraft, the Overture, which is designed to accommodate up to 80 passengers and is expected to operate at twice the speed of current subsonic airliners.
Boom Supersonic has secured 130 orders for the Overture from prominent airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.
Positioned to be the first large commercial aircraft designed for net-zero carbon emissions, the Overture will operate on 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Nonetheless, supersonic aircraft like the Overture face challenges, including high fuel consumption and the noise issue of sonic booms, which restrict their operations in populated areas.
The XB-1’s achievement marks the first instance of a civil aircraft going supersonic over the continental United States since the retirement of the Concorde.
The Concorde, a pioneering supersonic passenger airliner developed through a collaboration between Britain and France, made its inaugural flight on March 2, 1969, and entered commercial service in 1976. With capabilities to cruise at over twice the speed of sound at altitudes of up to 60,000 feet, it drastically cut transatlantic travel times, allowing flights from London to New York in roughly three hours. However, due to elevated operational costs, limited passenger numbers, and a tragic accident in 2000, the Concorde was retired in 2003.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
On Tuesday, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 jet became the first privately developed aircraft to reach Mach 1.1.
During the flight, chief test pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg flew the aircraft, which achieved supersonic speeds on three separate occasions. Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, described the event as “a big day for all of us, for America, for aviation, and for human progress.”
“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived,” Boom stated. Scholl further noted, “A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars.”
This test flight took place in the same region of airspace where, in 1947, US Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager became the first individual to break the sound barrier in the experimental Bell X-1 aircraft, reaching Mach 1.05 at an altitude of 45,000 feet.
The successful flight is a significant milestone towards the development of Boom’s commercial passenger aircraft, the Overture, which is designed to accommodate up to 80 passengers and is expected to operate at twice the speed of current subsonic airliners.
Boom Supersonic has secured 130 orders for the Overture from prominent airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.
Positioned to be the first large commercial aircraft designed for net-zero carbon emissions, the Overture will operate on 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Nonetheless, supersonic aircraft like the Overture face challenges, including high fuel consumption and the noise issue of sonic booms, which restrict their operations in populated areas.
The XB-1’s achievement marks the first instance of a civil aircraft going supersonic over the continental United States since the retirement of the Concorde.
The Concorde, a pioneering supersonic passenger airliner developed through a collaboration between Britain and France, made its inaugural flight on March 2, 1969, and entered commercial service in 1976. With capabilities to cruise at over twice the speed of sound at altitudes of up to 60,000 feet, it drastically cut transatlantic travel times, allowing flights from London to New York in roughly three hours. However, due to elevated operational costs, limited passenger numbers, and a tragic accident in 2000, the Concorde was retired in 2003.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
