Aviation24.be reports, “The world is on the verge of witnessing a historic moment in aviation. Boom Supersonic, the company pioneering the return of commercial supersonic travel, is preparing for the maiden supersonic flight of its XB-1 demonstrator. After a rigorous program of 11 successful test flights at increasing speeds, XB-1 is poised to break the sound barrier. This groundbreaking event will be livestreamed globally, allowing the public to witness this pivotal moment in aviation history. The livestream is scheduled for January 28, 2025, at 06:45 PST/09:45 EST/14:45 GMT.”
Full Story (Aviation24.be)
Tag: Boom
Latest Boom Supersonic Test Paves Way for 1st Mach 1 Flight
Aerotime reports Boom Supersonic is “determining whether a 12th test flight of its XB-1 demonstrator is needed before its first attempt at breaking the speed barrier. On January 10, 2025, XB-1 reached speeds of Mach 0.95 during a 44-minute flight over the Mojave Desert with Chief Test Pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg at the controls.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Boom XB-1 Technology Demonstrator Getting Closer to Supersonic Milestone
Aviation Week reports, “Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 technology demonstrator probed deeper into the transonic speed regime during its ninth test flight from Mojave Air & Space Port, California, on Dec. 13, paving the way for an attempt to reach and exceed Mach 1, now targeted for early 2025. Piloted by Boom chief test pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, the XB-1 expanded the altitude envelope to over 27,700 ft., continued tests of the Flutter Excitation System (FES), and reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.87.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Approaches Speed of Sound in Flight Test
Flying Magazine reports, “Boom Supersonic—the developer of a 64-to-80-passenger commercial airliner that flies faster than the speed of sound—last week set speed and altitude records with its XB-1 test aircraft. And it’s gearing up for another test flight as soon as Wednesday, founder and CEO Blake Scholl said Monday.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Makes 4th Successful Test Flight
Simple Flying reports, “Boom Supersonic conducted a fourth and successful Boom XB-1test flight, this time reaching an altitude of 16,150 feet and a speed of Mach 0.617 (about 313 knots equivalent airspeed) during tests for flutter, g-forces, handling, and landing gear. The proof-of-concept XB-1 is helping educate Boom Supersonic on how to build and test supersonic aircraft in the lead-up to building Boom Overture.”
Full Story (Simple Flying)
Boom Eyes Third XB-1 Test Flight After Successful Second Sortie
Flight Global reports, “Boom Supersonic’s successful second test flight of its XB-1 demonstrator on 26 August positions the company to accelerate the pace of the flight-test programme, with a third flight potentially coming next month.”
Full Story (Flight Global – Subscription Publication)
FAA to Allow Boom Supersonic to Break Sound Barrier
Flying Magazine reports, “For the first time in its history, the FAA has issued a special flight authorization to allow Boom Supersonic to break the sound barrier. The approval will allow the Colorado startup to fly its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft faster than Mach 1 up to 20 times over the next year in the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor in Mojave, California.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Boom Receives FAA Clearance for XB-1 Supersonic Tests
Aviation Week reports, “In what the FAA has termed ‘a major federal action,’ the U.S. aviation regulator has granted Boom permission to conduct supersonic overland tests of the company’s XB-1 demonstrator. The special flight authorization (SFA) is the first ever issued by the FAA for tests of a civil supersonic aircraft, as all non-military aircraft are currently prohibited from operating above Mach 1 over land in the U.S.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Boom’s XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator Takes Flight for First Time
Aviation Week reports, “Boom Supersonic flew its XB-1 demonstrator—the world’s first privately developed faster-than-sound civil aircraft—for the first time at Mojave Air & Space Port, California, on March 22.” The successful flight “marks a step toward the development of the company’s planned Mach 1.7 Overture airliner later this decade.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
FAA Reviewing Boom’s Request to Conduct Supersonic Test Flights Using XB-1 Demonstrator
FlightGlobal reports the FAA released an environmental assessment addressing the possible impacts of Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator, which describes the company’s flight tests as having minimal environmental impact.
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
