The Boom XB-1 reaches milestone in quest for civil supersonic aviation

Boom XB-1 goes supersonic in latest test flight

By Mark Reif Published January 30, 2025

boom supersonic test flight january xb 1 hero — Boom Supersonic

This week, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 test plane took the company one step closer to commercial flights at the speed of sound, achieving supersonic flight for the first time. The company’s planned airliner, the Overture, will be the first Mach 1 commercial aircraft since the Concorde. The XB-1 is the first supersonic civilian aircraft made in America.

The Boom XB-1 reached the speed of sound and beyond

Boom Supersonic XB-1 — Boom Supersonic

During the flight, Boom Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg took the XB-1 to 35,290 feet before reaching Mach 1.122 (750 mph). That marked the aircraft’s first foray into supersonic territory and a significant step toward the Overture’s arrival. It was also the first time an independently made jet broke the sound barrier.

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The XB-1 serves as a test bed for the Overture, using digital stability augmentation, carbon fiber composites, and an augmented reality vision system for visibility during landings. It first flew in March 2024 and since then, has completed 11 human-piloted test flights, each furthering the envelope to evaluate critical systems.

Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl said: “XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived. A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars. Next, we are scaling up the technology on XB-1 for the Overture supersonic airliner. Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone.”

Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, Chief Test Pilot for Boom Supersonic added: “It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of the team that achieved this milestone—every single member of this team was critical to our success. Our discipline and methodical approach to this flight test program created the safety culture that made a safe and successful first supersonic flight possible. With the lessons learned from XB-1, we can continue to build the future of supersonic travel.”

Mark Reif is a writer from Stowe, Vermont. During the winter, he works as a snowboard coach and rides more than 100 days. The…

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On its latest flight, the Boom XB-1 neared supersonic speeds
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Boom Supersonic commented on the test: “Designing a plane that is both very stable and very fast is a challenge, especially for high-speed aircraft like XB-1. One of the major accomplishments of the XB-1 program was converging on a design that does not rely on computerized augmentation to stay safe in the air, unlike many modern fighter jets that use automated systems to make constant adjustments to the flight path in order to maintain stability. While XB-1 does have this kind of system, called the stability augmentation system, the team is assessing the aircraft with the system off at increasing speeds—this is a requirement prior to supersonic flight that XB-1 successfully cleared during this flight.”

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