29 January 2025
+VIDEO The first supersonic flight by a civilian aircraft since Concorde took place yesterday (28 January 2025) when the Boom Supersonic XB-1 reached a top speed of Mach 1.122 (652ktas).
The XB-1 ‘technology demonstrator’ broke the sound barrier shortly after taking off from Mojave Air & Space Port, California.
Chief Test Pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg achieved supersonic speed in XB-1 at an altitude of 35,290ft during a test flight lasting 34 minutes. The flight path traversed the historic Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor and the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor over the Mojave Desert.
“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived. A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars,” said Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl.
“Next, we are scaling up the technology on XB-1 for the Overture supersonic airliner. Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone.”
XB-1 has many of the key features found on Overture, Boom’s full-size supersonic airliner. They include carbon fibre composites, digital stability augmentation, and an augmented reality vision system for landing visibility.
“It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of the team that achieved this milestone — every single member of this team was critical to our success,” said test pilot Brandenburg.
“Our discipline and methodical approach to this flight test program created the safety culture that made a safe and successful first supersonic flight possible. With the lessons learned from XB-1, we can continue to build the future of supersonic travel.”
XB-1’s supersonic flight took place in the same airspace where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947.
Mike Bannister, former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways, was at the ground base, commentating on the flight. He can be seen in the video above.
Mike said, “I’ve been waiting over 20 years for the return of supersonic speeds, and XB-1’s historic flight is a major landmark towards my dreams being realized.
“When I last flew Concorde in 2003, I knew this day would come. Boom is well on its way towards making sustainable supersonic flight a reality, aboard Overture — my #1 choice as a successor to Concorde.
“Congratulations to Blake Scholl, all at Boom and especially its pilot, Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg. Having been Concorde’s Chief Pilot I envy his role in this exciting return towards mainstream supersonic flight.”
Overture has an order book of 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. In 2024, Boom completed construction on the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, which will scale to produce 66 Overture aircraft per year.
