Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Prototype Achieves Supersonic Flight Milestone

Nearly ten months after completing its first subsonic flight in March last year, Boom Supersonic's prototype test aircraft, XB-1, successfully broke the sound barrier three times during its 12th test flight today. The XB-1 serves as a scaled-down demonstrator for Boom's planned Overture airliner, which is designed to carry 64 passengers on international supersonic flights at a cruising speed of Mach 1.7—similar to the service provided by the Concorde before its retirement in 2003.

Boom's Chief Test Pilot, Tristan Brandenburg, took off from Mojave Air & Space Port in California and ascended the XB-1 to an altitude of 34,000 feet. The aircraft then reached a maximum speed of Mach 1.1 (approximately 844 mph) and maintained supersonic flight for about four minutes. This flight marks not only the first time Boom's demonstrator aircraft has exceeded the speed of sound but also the first instance of a privately developed civilian aircraft achieving supersonic flight. In contrast, the Concorde was a joint project between the British and French governments rather than a privately funded initiative.