BOOM! Private Company Successfully Tests First Supersonic Airliner Since the Concorde Last Flew in 2003

[excalibur]

A bigger model is under construction.

Nixon blew it when he killed the SST, which was superior to the Concorde, more passenger capacity, faster.

For the first time since the final flight of the Concorde in 2003, a commercial airliner - albeit a prototype - has exceeded Mach 1, achieving supersonic flight. The airplane, which has been dubbed the XB-1, was designed and built by a company appropriately named Boom.

Today, for the first time since Concorde was retired in 2003, a commercial-type aircraft, the XB-1, went supersonic, touching Mach 1.1 three times during its one-half-hour test flight out of California’s Mojave Air And Space Port.
The XB-1 first flew in March 2024, with 10 more tests under its belt since - until today. The fastest of those previous flights was Mach .95, earlier this month.

Boom Technology, the company who developed XB-1, is building a bigger aircraft, Overture, a 64-seat affair (Concorde had 100 seats), for commercial operations. It says Overture should ready in a few years. Airlines that have expressed interest include American, Japan Air Lines and United.

There's a catch, though; due to FAA rules, the XB-1 isn't allowed to exceed Mach 1 over the continental United States. Boom's subsequent airliners, though? That may be a different story. Imagine flying from Boston to San Diego in two hours!

In the meantime as with Concorde, the XB-1 test model can’t fly supersonic over land in the U.S. because of the powerful sonic boom. Today’s supersonic test over land was specially-sanctioned by the FAA. Overture will have a much quieter sonic boom footprint, and therefore should be able to fly over land, says Boom.

...​

BOOM! Private Company Successfully Tests First Supersonic Airliner Since the Concorde Last Flew in 2003

redstate.com

 

[Dr.Destructo]

Never understood why they never kept building the Concordes.

I remember going to see an airshow in the early 70s at DFW International Airport.
They had the Blue Angels perform, some brand new tech helicopters, and the Concorde landed and strutted around the tarmac.

The Concorde was like the sportscar of planes.......it was very small and compact, and had very long "legs" that had it WAY up off the ground.

I always wanted a ride in the Concorde, but alas, it never happened.

 

[1srelluc]

 

[TimFitz]

Never understood why they never kept building the Concordes.

I remember going to see an airshow in the early 70s at DFW International Airport.
They had the Blue Angels perform, some brand new tech helicopters, and the Concorde landed and strutted around the tarmac.

The Concorde was like the sportscar of planes.......it was very small and compact, and had very long "legs" that had it WAY up off the ground.

I always wanted a ride in the Concorde, but alas, it never happened.

I remember seeing the Concorde, along with the C-5A Galaxy (then still regarded as McNamara”s folly”at a show at Dulles around that time.

 

[ThisIsMe]

A bigger model is under construction.

Nixon blew it when he killed the SST, which was superior to the Concorde, more passenger capacity, faster.

​

For the first time since the final flight of the Concorde in 2003, a commercial airliner - albeit a prototype - has exceeded Mach 1, achieving supersonic flight. The airplane, which has been dubbed the XB-1, was designed and built by a company appropriately named Boom.​

​

​

​

​

​

​

There's a catch, though; due to FAA rules, the XB-1 isn't allowed to exceed Mach 1 over the continental United States. Boom's subsequent airliners, though? That may be a different story. Imagine flying from Boston to San Diego in two hours!​

​

​

​

...​

BOOM! Private Company Successfully Tests First Supersonic Airliner Since the Concorde Last Flew in 2003

redstate.com