Prototype aircraft violates sound barrier in legendary flight
Date
1/30/2025 3:29:31 AM
(MENAFN) A prototype jet developed by US start-up Boom Supersonic has made history by breaking the sound barrier during a test flight over California’s Mojave Desert. The XB-1 aircraft, which reached Mach 1.1 (around 770 mph or 1,240 km/h), became the first privately developed aircraft to achieve supersonic speeds on Tuesday.
The flight, conducted by chief test pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg, marked a significant milestone for Boom Supersonic and was hailed by CEO Blake Scholl as a major step forward in aviation. Scholl emphasized that the flight demonstrated the viability of passenger supersonic travel, an achievement once reliant on government-backed projects and billions of dollars in investment.
The test took place in the same airspace where US Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier in 1947 with the Bell X-1 aircraft. The XB-1’s success paves the way for Boom Supersonic’s commercial aircraft, the Overture, designed to fly at twice the speed of current airliners while carrying up to 80 passengers. The Overture is set to be the first commercial aircraft built for net-zero carbon emissions, running on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Although the Overture has already secured 130 orders from airlines like American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines, it faces challenges such as high fuel consumption and sonic booms, which limit its ability to fly supersonically over populated areas.
This achievement marks the first civil aircraft to go supersonic over the continental US since the Concorde's retirement, a landmark event that could pave the way for a new era in air travel.
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