Boom Supersonic: XB-1 breaks the sound barrier for the second and last time
Boom XB-1 broke the sound barrier again at the end of the test campaign. The next step for Boom Supersonic is to develop a supersonic passenger aircraft.
XB-1 after take-off: new records for altitude and speed
(Image: Boom Supersonic)
The supersonic aircraft XB-1 has flown faster than sound for the second time. The aircraft broke the sound barrier three times – and is now being mothballed.
The aircraft took off from the Mojave Air & Space Port in the US state of California at 10:50 a.m. (local time) on February 10. The 13th test flight of the XB-1 lasted around 41 minutes, and Boom Supersonic broadcast the flight over the Internet.
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Boom's test pilot Tristan Brandenburg once again broke the sound barrier three times and also set new records for altitude and speed: XB-1 reached a speed of 671 knots, the equivalent of just under 1,243 km/h, which according to Boom Supersonic corresponded to Mach 1.18. The aircraft also climbed to an altitude of 36,514 feet, just under 11.13 kilometers.
Schlieren images and sound measurements
The test flight was also used to take so-called schlieren images of the aircraft and to carry out further sound measurements. Boom uses a technology called Boomless Cruise, which is designed to reduce the sonic boom.
This was the last flight of the XB-1 and, according to the company, the aircraft will be returned to its headquarters in Denver, Colorado. There, Boom Supersonic intends to focus on the development of the supersonic airliner Overture.
“This is the last time it flies,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, during the webcast. “This is really a bittersweet day for me and for the entire XB-1 team, I think.”
XB-1 was a flying test bed
XB-1 was a flying test bed for the development of Overture and the first civilian supersonic airplane built in the United States. It flew for the first time in March of last year. The first supersonic flight took place on January 29th of this year.
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The Boom Overture is set to become the first supersonic passenger aircraft since the Concorde. The aircraft, which will fly at a speed of Mach 1.7 over water and Mach 1 over land, will be able to carry 80 passengers. It should be operational by the end of 2029, said Scholl. According to the aviation company, it has already received 130 orders, including from United Airlines and American Airlines.
(wpl)
