While the vision of economically viable supersonic commercial flight invested in Concorde was never fully realized, the airplane still stands as an icon to those who would try again to achieve that goal. Boom Supersonic, working to make that vision a reality, announced at the Paris Air Show this week that it is ready to launch the flight test phase of its Overture XB-1 sub-scale demonstrator. The first supersonic flight is scheduled to take place in 2020.
Boom Overture Moves Out Of Theory Into Reality
Key Takeaways:
- Boom Supersonic announced the launch of the flight test phase for its XB-1 sub-scale demonstrator, aiming for its first supersonic flight in 2020.
- The XB-1 is a two-seat carbon composite prototype designed to operate at Mach 2.2 and intends to run on low-carbon jet fuel for carbon-neutral operation.
- Through wind tunnel testing, Boom reported significant efficiency gains of up to 5% over Concorde's engine intakes, achieved via software-controlled compression ramps.
- The testing program will begin with taxi tests at Centennial Airport before moving to the Mojave Desert for subsonic and then supersonic flight tests.
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