The return of the commercial supersonic jet
Supersonic air travel could be making a comeback, thanks to the work of companies like Boom. We visited Boom’s hangar in Mojave, California to learn what it took to resurrect the dream of superfast intercontinental air travel, more than 20 years after the retirement of Concorde supersonic aircraft.
As of this writing, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator has completed 11 test flights, achieving a top speed of Mach 0.95. Mach 1 is the speed of sound – about 767 mph at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl says it will go supersonic “somewhere around Flight 12.”
Boom Supersonic says its XB-1 demonstration aircraft is about to break the sound barrier.
At the controls of those flights is chief test pilot Tristan “Gepetto” Brandenburg, who tells me that from inside the plane, going supersonic is “actually kind of anticlimactic.” Other than the subtle change in the feel of the controls, the only way he would even know it happened was by keeping an eye on his speedometer.
Brandenburg shows its view from the cockpit in the XB-1 flight simulator.
The infamous sonic boom after which the company and the XB-1 “Baby Boom” aircraft are named is something experienced primarily by people outside the aircraft. To minimize disruption to anyone living and working along Boom’s flight path, the company says it plans to fly its passenger plane at supersonic speeds over the ocean, and will fly at just under the speed of sound when above the land. However, this is still significantly faster than the cruising speed of traditional jet aircraft, which is around 550 to 600 mph.
Boom says it’s also keeping an eye on NASA’s development of the low boom supersonic technology and may integrate it into future aircraft designs.
Shortly after going supersonic, Boom’s XB-1 demonstration aircraft will be retired and focus will shift to building the Overture scaled-up passenger aircraft.
The XB-1 flight test program paves the way for Overture, Boom’s passenger jet, which will be able to run on both traditional jet fuel and newer sustainable aviation fuel.
The company aims to carry its first passengers in about five years. It has already completed construction of a “superfactory” that will produce 33 Overture aircraft a year to start, with plans to expand. United, American and Japan Airlines already have pre-orders.
Boom completed construction of its Overture Superfactory in North Carolina last June.
While ticket prices will ultimately be determined by the different airlines, passengers can expect to pay a little more for the faster trip, especially “on the first day when there are more passengers than there are planes,” says Scholl. “But our goal is to lower (prices) over time.”
To see our full visit to the Boom Supersonic, as well as my experience piloting the XB-1 flight simulator, check out the video in this article.
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