The first private supersonic aircraft since concorde Decommissioned twenty years ago, it rose into the sky. 22 March supersonic demonstrator XB-1 The company’s Boom completed its first flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California.

When was the last time concorde Landing on November 6, 2003, looked like not only the end of an era but also a major technological step backwards. This was a rare example of the world losing all potential by abandoning commercial supersonic air travel without any modifications.

Today, NASA and a number of private companies are working on projects to revive supersonic air travel, which would not only carry passengers and cargo, but would also be environmentally friendly and economically viable. The latter is a polite way of saying they hope it will make money.

With chief test pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker at the helm, the XB-1 made an unassuming first flight to demonstrate that the plane would, in fact, fly and that no parts would fall out in the process.

Test pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg followed in his T-38 chase plane to observe the flight and verify altitude and speed. With a length of 62.6 feet (19 m) and a wingspan of 21 feet (6 m), the XB-1 reached an altitude of 7,120 feet (2,170 m) and a speed of 238 knots (273 mph, 440 km/h). ). It is powered by three GE J85-15 engines producing a maximum thrust of 12,300 lbs.

Once its aerodynamics and airworthiness are confirmed, the XB-1’s speed will increase until it reaches above Mach 1 in subsequent tests, Boom said.

Innovations for the XB-1 include an augmented reality system, digitally optimized aerodynamics, carbon composite construction and supersonic air intakes that slow incoming air to subsonic speeds, allowing the aircraft to be powered by conventional jet engines.

The purpose of the XB-1 is to help develop technology that will be used in Overture’s supersonic jet, which can carry 80 passengers at Mach 1.7.

“Today, the XB-1 took flight in the hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “I have been looking forward to this flight since Boom was founded in 2014, and it marks a significant milestone in our journey to deliver supersonic travel to passengers around the world.”