What just happened? It’s been 20 years since the last supersonic commercial aircraft, Concorde, was retired. But if startup Boom Supersonic’s plan works out, a new jet flying faster than the speed of sound will take to the skies in the next six years. That dream has taken another step toward reality after a successful test flight of its prototype aircraft.
Boom Supersonic on Friday announced that its XB-1 prototype jet had completed a successful mission over the Mojave Desert.
The subsonic test flight began at 7:28 am on Thursday. The 62-foot jet reached a maximum altitude of 7,120 feet and a top speed of 246 knots (283 mph) before landing 12 minutes later.
Boom Supersonic writes that XB-1, which uses three 1950s-era J85 turbojet engines, is a demonstrator aircraft featuring several state-of-the-art technologies that will be used in Overture, the commercial supersonic aircraft that the company is working on. This includes carbon fiber composites, advanced avionics, digitally-optimized aerodynamics, and an advanced supersonic propulsion system.
The return of supersonic travel inches closer following Boom’s successful XB-1 test flight
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