Today, Boom’s supersonic demonstrator aircraft, XB-1 safely and successfully executed its first flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, CA., flown by XB-1 Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker. Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg flew the T-38 chase aircraft which monitored XB-1 in the air.
source.image: Boom Supersonic
Two decades after Concorde’s retirement, the first flight of XB-1 marks the return of a civil supersonic aircraft to the skies and paves the way for the revival of mainstream supersonic travel onboard Overture, Boom’s sustainable supersonic airliner.
source.image: Boom Supersonic
The XB-1, which did not break the sound barrier, completed a 12-minute sub-sonic test flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, CA., flown by XB-1 Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker.
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XB-1 met all of its test objectives, including safely and successfully achieving an altitude of 7,120 feet and speeds up to 238 knots (273 mph). While XB-1 was in the air, the team performed an initial assessment of the aircraft’s handling qualities, including airspeed checks with the T-38 chase aircraft, and assessing the aircraft’s stability in the landing attitude (at a high angle of attack).
XB-1 is 62.6 feet long with a wingspan of 21 feet and is powered by three GE J85-15 engines with a combined max thrust of 12,300 pounds of force (lbf). The XB-1 program provides the foundation for Overture’s design and development, while establishing a safety-first culture in engineering and manufacturing. XB-1 validates key technologies and Boom’s own innovations, including: Augmented reality vision system, Digitally-optimized aerodynamics, Carbon fiber composites, Supersonic intakes.
