Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 completes its fourth test flight [VIDEO]

Scheduled to be commercialized in 2030, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 continues its tests in California. Recently, the company posted two videos showing the test aircraft that is expected to take over from Concorde by restarting supersonic commercial flights. We see the takeoff and landing of the supersonic aircraft.

XB-1, en route to Mach 1

To be considered supersonic, an aircraft must reach the fateful speed of Mach 1. This is not an achievement; many aircraft have already reached and largely surpassed this speed, as illustrated by Concorde.

As of now, the XB-1 has not yet reached this milestone. But based on what we can read in the descriptions of the videos posted by Boom Supersonic on YouTube, this should be the case before the end of 2024.

For this fourth flight, the XB-1 reached the speed of Mach 0.617, as can be read in the description of the landing video. To reach Mach 1, Boom Supersonic has set itself the goal of getting there in 10 flights. The XB-1 therefore still has six tests to achieve this by December 31, 2024.

The dimensions of the Concorde replacement

In 2030, commercial supersonic flights should therefore resume in full force, with Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 derivative model at the forefront: OvertureThe aircraft is expected to be able to carry between 64 and 80 passengers and reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.7.

Currently the Boom Supersonic XB-1 model, is not the final version of theOverture. In fact, this is a test model. For this test phase, the XB-1 measures 21 meters long and 5.2 meters wide. TheOvertureitself, will be three times larger and will reach 61.2 meters in length. Its construction should begin in 2025, when the XB-1 will finally have reached the Mach 1 stage.