
image: Boom Supersonic
Boom Supersonic flew its  XB-1 proof of concept demonstrator past Mach 1 today during a test flight from Mohave in the California desert. The aircraft reached a maximum of Mach 1.11 in its first supersonic test flight.  This is a significant milestone for Boom, planning a commercial supersonic airliner to fill the market gap since Concorde’s retirement in 2003.
A video of the flight can be found here.
The XB-1 is one-third the size of the planned Overture passenger jet, which hopes to achieve a cruising speed of Mach 1.7 and would carry 65 passengers. The company expects to have the aircraft in service in the 2030s but has a long way yet to go, including a new engine design that hasn’t yet been produced, tested, or certified. The development and certification of this aircraft will require billions in additional funding.

Nonetheless, today’s flight is a key milestone in that process. Boom has already completed a factory in North Carolina to produce the Overture aircraft and is planning to produce 33 aircraft per year.  The plant can double those deliveries with a second assembly line. From an environmental standpoint, Boom will utilize Sustainable Aviation Fuel to reduce emissions and meet industry emission requirements for net zero carbon by 2050.Â
This is the first privately, non-governmentally funded supersonic program, and the XB-1 is the first private civil aircraft to break the sound barrier. We wish the company well as its development program continues and will soon take the following steps towards replacing the Concorde in airline service.
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