News Aircraft manufacturers Airlines
First flight for Boom XB-1 demonstrator aircraft

Boom Supersonic on March 22 announced the successful flight of its XB-1 demonstrator, described by the company as the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. The inaugural flight marks what Boom notes as a major milestone toward the return of supersonic travel, with XB-1 providing the foundation for Boom’s supersonic airliner, Overture.

“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding Boom in 2014, and it marks the most significant milestone yet on our path to bring supersonic travel to passengers worldwide.”

XB-1 was flown by Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker. “Everyone on the XB-1 team should be incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Shoemaker. “It has been a privilege to share this journey with so many dedicated and talented professionals. The experience we have gained in reaching this milestone will be invaluable to Boom’s revival of supersonic travel.”

Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg flew the T-38 chase aircraft which monitored XB-1 in the air. Boom explains chase planes typically accompany new aircraft on their maiden flights to observe how the test plane is handling and verify things like altitude, airspeed, and airworthiness during flight.

“Being in the air with XB-1 during its maiden flight is a moment I will never forget,” said Brandenburg. “The team has been working hard to get to this point, and seeing today’s flight through mission completion is a huge accomplishment for all of us.”

Boom states 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).

Now that XB-1 has successfully completed its first flight, the Boom team will systematically expand the flight envelope to confirm its performance and handling qualities through and beyond Mach 1. When XB-1 is ready for its first supersonic flight, Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenberg will be at the controls.

Overture has 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.