Civilian jet breaks sound barrier during historic test flight over Mojave Desert
A civilian jet broke the sound barrier for the first time Tuesday while making a historic test flight over the Mojave Desert.
The XB-1 aircraft, manufactured by Boom Supersonic, was piloted by Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg, the company said in a news release. The plane, nicknamed "Baby Boom," took off from Mojave Air and Space Port and reached an altitude of 35,290 feet before accelerating to Mach 1.122, the company said. That speed is equivalent to 750 miles per hour.
It marks the first time an independently developed jet has broken the sound barrier, Boom Supersonic said, and the plane is the "first supersonic jet made in America." The sound barrier was broken for the first time in 1947, when Air Force pilot Capt. Chuck Yeager flew a rocket-propelled experimental aircraft across the Mojave Desert -- taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port just as the XB-1 did.
Before today's sound barrier-breaking flight, the XB-1 underwent 11 test flights. The aircraft includes features like an augmented reality system to make takeoff and landing easier and has a long nose that makes it easier for pilots to see the runway during those stages. The jet's aerodynamics are based off thousands of simulations, the company said, creating a design that it says "combines safe and stable operation at takeoff and landing with efficiency at supersonic speeds." The jet is also made almost entirely from carbon fiber composite materials, which create a "strong, lightweight structure."
The company will next focus its attention on Overture, a supersonic airliner that will ultimately "bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone," Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl said in a statement. The XB-1 jet will be the foundation for Overture, Boom Supersonic said, and many features present on the jet will also be incorporated into the supersonic airliner. The airliner will also use Boom Supersonic's bespoke propulsion system, Symphony, to run on "up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel."
The company said the goal for the plane is for it to be able to carry between 64 and 80 passengers at Mach 1.7, or about 1,295 miles per hour. Existing subsonic airliners fly at between 550 and 600 miles per hour, according to charter company Bitlux.
"It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of the team that achieved this milestone," Pilot Brandenburg said on Tuesday.
About 130 Overture planes have been pre-ordered, the company said. Airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines have placed pre-orders. The company finished building a "superfactory" in North Carolina in 2024, and will eventually produce 66 planes per year.
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