XB-1 Completes Third Flight

Just weeks after Boom’s supersonic demonstrator aircraft successfully completed its second flight, XB-1 took to the skies again on September 13. The flight was piloted by Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. The cadence of test flights is picking up speed, as we continue to target supersonic flight before the end of the year.

During this flight, the team continued to test key systems and performance as they systematically expand the flight envelope. The pilot, Geppetto, took XB-1 to the maximum pitch and yaw attitudes that we expect to see in flight. This testing was done at a safe, higher altitude to ensure there were no unexpected handling qualities. We do this kind of testing so that the first time it happens, it is not in a critical phase of flight.

The team also checked the performance of the environmental control system (ECS), which controls the temperature and pressurization of the cockpit. This test is to ensure that the ECS is functioning as designed before XB-1 goes to higher altitudes, where it is colder and the pressure is lower. The landing gear was extended and retracted at higher speeds than its previous flight (215 knots), marking the second of three steps working up to the maximum safe speed for raising and lowering the gear, which is 225 knots. Additionally, the team continued testing of the stability augmentation system, which was demonstrated during the second flight.

Speeding up toward supersonic flight

The XB-1 flight test program continues to progress while systematically expanding the flight envelope to confirm its performance and handling qualities through and beyond Mach 1. The sequencing of test flights will increase through this next phase of testing with a total of approximately 10 flights before reaching supersonic speeds.

Just weeks after XB-1’s inaugural flight, Boom secured the first-ever Special Flight Authorization (SFA) to Exceed Mach 1 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). XB-1 test flights will continue to be conducted in the R-2508 Complex and supersonic operations will occur in the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor and in a portion of the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor within the R-2515 airspace, which has been used extensively for research and military supersonic aeronautical operations.

Setting the foundation for the return of supersonic

XB-1 provides the foundation for the design and development of Overture, Boom’s supersonic airliner. XB-1 leverages state-of-the-art technologies to enable efficient supersonic flight including digitally-optimized aerodynamics, carbon fiber composites, advanced supersonic engine intakes, and an augmented reality vision system for takeoff and landing visibility. 

Two decades after Concorde’s retirement, the first flights of XB-1 mark the return of a civil supersonic aircraft to the skies and pave the way for the revival of mainstream supersonic travel onboard Overture.