This Company Is Taking the ‘Boom’ Out of Supersonic Flight
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator creates a sonic boom not audible from the ground below, potentially opening up opportunities for supersonic flight over land.
Boom’s XB-1 ‘Baby Boom’ demonstrator achieves supersonic flight with no audible sonic boom on the ground. [Courtesy: Boom Supersonic]
Key Takeaways:
Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator successfully achieved supersonic flight without an audible sonic boom on the ground, a capability dubbed "Boomless Cruise."
This "Boomless Cruise" utilizes the Mach cutoff physics concept, allowing the aircraft to fly at precise speeds above 30,000 feet where sound waves refract and do not reach the ground.
Boom plans to incorporate this technology into its Overture commercial airliner, aiming to reintroduce supersonic commercial flight by 2029 with significantly reduced travel times.
The company is actively campaigning to change existing FAA regulations that prohibit all supersonic flight over land, advocating for rules based on noise levels rather than speed alone.
Last month in the skies above Mojave Air & Space Port in California—the same hallowed airspace where U.S. Air Force ace Chuck Yeager first eclipsed the sound barrier in a Bell X-1 in 1947—Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 or “Baby Boom” became the first independently built jet to hit supersonic speeds.
But you wouldn’t be able to tell from below.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
