On Tuesday, about 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) above the Mojave Desert, northwest of Los Angeles, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 became the first privately funded aircraft to break the sound barrier during a test flight.
Boom Supersonic’s Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg said after landing, “She was real happy supersonic. That’s the best she’s ever flown, was supersonic.”
After reaching altitude, Brandenburg opened the test plane’s throttles, accelerating to Mach 1.1 (about 845 mph or 1,360 kph), surpassing the speed of sound.
In 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first human to break the sound barrier when he pushed the Bell X-1 beyond Mach 1 over the Mojave Desert.
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 is a stepping stone in its plan to develop a commercially viable supersonic airliner, the Overture, which will be capable of carrying 64-80 passengers across the Atlantic in approximately 3.5 hours.
The company has received 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.
Last year, Boom Supersonic completed construction of its Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it plans to manufacture 66 Overture aircraft per year.
