XB-1 Demonstrator Takes Flight The first flight has finally come for the Boom Supersonic XB-1. You may remember that the first flight was supposed to have taken place towards the end of 2023. However, it was delayed to do some upgrades to the demonstrator aircraft before attempting a first flight. https://www.jetforums.net/threads/news-boom-supersonic-missed-2023-first-flight-goal.4852/ . This is the first and major concrete step towards the return to civil supersonic flight.
XB-1 took flight from the Mojave Air & Space Port, flown by Boom Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker on March 22nd, 2024. Naturally the first flight is never meant to push any envelopes however, the aircraft fully met its objectives. The XB-1 safely and successfully achieved an altitude of 7,120-feet and speeds up to 238-knots (273 mph). The first flight lasted a total of 12 minutes.
Bare in mind, this is a demonstrator aircraft and will scale-up as testing goes on. The final iteration and full-scale aircraft for passenger supersonic flight will be the Overture. "Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947. 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." For more information: BOOM Supersonic Centennial Airport, Dove Valley, Colorado www.boomsupersonic.com ***
