Today: Feb 12, 2025

Supersonic dreams realized: Boom supersonic’s XB-1 breaks the sound Barrier

Boom Supersonic has shattered aviation norms—its XB-1 demonstrator just became the first privately developed civil aircraft to break the sound barrier, soaring to Mach 1.1 over California’s Mojave Desert. It is a bold leap toward reviving supersonic travel, a dream dormant since Concorde’s retirement in 2003.
Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg flew the T-38 chase aircraft which monitored XB-1 in the air
2 weeks ago

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator has shattered the sound barrier, reaching speeds of Mach 1.1 in California’s Mojave Desert. This achievement, eight years in the making, marks a pivotal moment in the quest to revive supersonic passenger travel, which faded from the skies two decades ago with the retirement of the Concorde.

The XB-1’s supersonic milestone came during its 12th test flight, led by Boom’s chief test pilot, Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg. Flying over the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor, named after Chuck Yeager’s historic flight in 1947, the sleek 63-foot aircraft achieved Mach 1.1 at an altitude of 35,000 feet, maintaining its supersonic speed for four minutes before safely landing at Mojave Air & Space Port. Brandenburg repeated the feat twice more, underscoring the aircraft’s reliability and performance.

“This is supersonic flight’s ‘Falcon 1’ moment,” said Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl, drawing a parallel to SpaceX’s first orbital success in 2008. “For the first time, a civil supersonic jet has come from something other than a nation-state. This achievement belongs to private innovation.”

The XB-1 is  a technological marvel, unlike Concorde, which was a joint venture between the UK and French governments, the XB-1 is entirely privately funded, confirming the growing role of startups in reshaping aviation.

The aircraft serves as a prototype for Boom’s ambitious commercial airliner, Overture, which aims to carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7. With promises of cutting transcontinental flight times in half, Overture has already attracted significant interest from major airlines. United Airlines has pre-ordered 15 jets with options for 35 more, while American Airlines and Japan Airlines have also signed on.

Yet, Overture is still a work in progress. “[M]uch work remains to scale up to Overture,” Scholl acknowledged in a post. Key hurdles include the development of the airliner’s engines, which Boom plans to build in-house following the end of its partnership with Rolls-Royce in 2022.

Boom’s supersonic demonstrator aircraft, XB-1 | Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, CA

The XB-1’s success is rooted in technological advances that have redefined aircraft design. Unlike the Concorde, developed in wind tunnels at immense cost and effort, Boom has leveraged digital engineering and computational fluid dynamics to refine the XB-1’s aerodynamics.

“We can run hundreds of wind tunnel tests overnight in simulation at a fraction of the cost,” Scholl explained, highlighting the efficiency of modern design methods. The XB-1’s structure, made almost entirely of carbon-fiber composites, balances strength with lightness, critical for supersonic flight.

Boom has also addressed a key operational challenge of supersonic jets: runway visibility. The Concorde employed a droop nose to aid pilots during takeoff and landing, but the XB-1 uses an augmented reality vision system, reducing complexity while maintaining functionality.

Boom aims to differentiate Overture with sustainability. The company plans for the airliner to operate on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a greener alternative to conventional jet fuel. While SAF adoption remains limited due to cost and availability, Scholl remains optimistic. “It’s scaling, and one day it’ll power all long-haul travel,” he said, calling SAF the “future of aviation.”

Boom’s vision aligns with growing pressure on the aviation industry to reduce its environmental impact. By prioritizing SAF and efficient design, the company hopes to make supersonic travel not just faster but more responsible.

A vision for the future

Despite its historic flight, the XB-1 is only the beginning of Boom’s ambitious roadmap. The company plans to conduct additional supersonic test flights in the coming weeks while continuing development of the Overture airliner.

Construction of the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, was completed last year, enabling production of up to 66 aircraft annually. Boom has targeted 2030 for Overture’s first commercial flight, a timeline that reflects the complexity of scaling from a prototype to a fully operational airliner.

Scholl’s ultimate vision for supersonic travel is ambitious: affordable, global, and accessible to everyone. In a 2024 interview, he envisioned a future where travelers could “fly anywhere in the world in four hours for $100.” While that goal remains distant, the XB-1’s achievement is a step toward realizing it.

More than 55 years after Concorde first went supersonic and two decades after its retirement, Boom’s progress rekindles the dream of faster-than-sound travel.

In an industry that has long struggled to balance innovation with practicality, Boom Supersonic’s achievement offers hope for a new chapter.

Fabrice Iranzi

Journalist and Project Leader at LionHerald, strong passion in tech and new ideas, serving Digital Company Builders in UK and beyond
E-mail: iranzi@lionherald.com

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