Welcome to Up to Speed, a monthly recap of news from Boom Supersonic. This March, we announced the successful flight of XB-1, the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. We then interviewed the test pilots and heard from them on the pilot mindset, details from the milestone day, and what’s next for XB-1. March was Women’s History Month and we celebrated the accomplishments of women in aviation. We also shared the latest Overture Superfactory construction progress image below.
Boom Announces Successful Flight of XB-1 Demonstrator Aircraft
On March 22nd, Boom announced the successful flight of XB-1, the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. Like Overture, Boom’s supersonic airliner, XB-1 leverages state-of-the-art technologies to enable efficient supersonic flight including carbon fiber composites, advanced avionics, digitally-optimized aerodynamics, and an advanced supersonic propulsion system. The inaugural flight of Boom’s supersonic demonstrator marks a major milestone toward the return of supersonic travel. Read more here.
Meet The Pilots Behind XB-1’s First Flight
During XB-1’s inaugural flight, XB-1 was flown by Boom Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker, and Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg flew the T-38 chase aircraft which monitored XB-1 in the air.
For Chief Test Pilot, Bill “Doc” Shoemaker, the road to Boom and XB-1 encompassed graduate study in Aeronautics and Astronautics, military service, and the first flight of several prototype aircraft as a civilian test pilot. A former U.S. naval aviator, he’s a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School who has flown more than 5,000 flight hours in 50 aircraft types, including the first flight of the Block II Super Hornet.
Geppetto is a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School and TOPGUN Adversary. He has completed 2500 total flight hours in 30 different aircraft and executed over 200 carrier arrested landings. He tested new systems on the F/A18 Super Hornet before they were released to the fleet. Gepetto will be at the controls for XB-1’s maiden supersonic flight.
We talked to both pilots, Doc and Geppetto following XB-1’s flight to hear more about the milestone day, the lead-up to the first flight, and what’s ahead. Hear from the XB-1 test pilots here.
Celebrating the Accomplishments of Women in Aviation
Boom Supersonic aims to make the world dramatically more accessible by bringing sustainable supersonic flight to passengers around the world. We recognize the invaluable contributions of women throughout the history of aviation and salute their achievements. In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate these women and continue to support and empower women in aviation every day. From Amelia Earhart’s solo flight across the Atlantic to the first woman to break the sound barrier, we are spotlighting a few of the female pilots who changed aviation history. Read more here.
Overture Superfactory March Construction Update
Updates to the Overture Superfactory construction site, the future home of the final assembly line for Overture flight tests and customer delivery, at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina continue to progress. Pictured here is the exterior view of the Superfactory at sunrise, showing the lighting and sidewalk installation underway. See the full construction progression over the last year here.
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