Mach 1.122

(750 mph) MAX AIR SPEED

34 MIN

Time in air

35,290 FT

Altitude

Watch XB-1’s Historic Supersonic Flight

JAN 28, 2025

Completed Test Flights

Jan 28, 2025 – XB-1 Goes Supersonic

XB-1 breaks the sound barrier for the first time.

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Jan 10, 2025 – XB-1 Flight 11

XB-1 reaches max dynamic pressure during final handling checks ahead of supersonic flight.

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Dec 19, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 10

XB-1 is transonic at Mach 0.95.

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Dec 13, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 9

XB-1 reached Mach 0.87 and 27,716 feet, clearing additional flutter test points.

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Nov 16, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 8

XB-1 cleared the requirements for aircraft handling qualities with the stability augmentation system off.

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Nov 5, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 7

XB-1 completes key system checks, hitting a new top speed of Mach 0.82 (499 KTAS) and reaching 23,015 feet.

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Oct 25, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 6

XB-1 continues to expand the flight envelope and gain altitude, reaching 20,000 feet.

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Oct 7, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 5

XB-1 flew faster and higher than it has yet at Mach .69 and 17,800 feet. The team continues to expand the flight envelope as XB-1 readies for supersonic flight.

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Sep 21, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 4

XB-1 reached its fastest speed yet (Mach 0.6) and the team applied elevated g-forces of 2.5g in preparation for supersonic flight.

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Sep 13, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 3

XB-1 reached maximum pitch and yaw attitudes, the team checked environmental control system (ECS) performance, and the landing gear was retracted and extended at a higher speed.

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Aug 26, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 2

XB-1 successfully retracted and extended its landing gear for the first time and demonstrated a new stability augmentation system.

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Mar 22, 2024 – XB-1 Flight 1

XB-1 takes flight at the Mojave Air u0026 Space Port, flown by Boom Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker.

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Made in America

Meet the team that built the first American civil supersonic jet.

“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.”

Blake Scholl

FOUNDER & CEO

Inside Look at XB-1’s Flight Test Program

XB-1 Chief Flight Test Engineer Nick Sheryka speaks to Boom’s progressive approach to flight testing, which is rooted in the idea that safety is the ultimate mission.

Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg

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. Geppetto piloted test flights 2-11 and will be at the controls for XB-1’s first supersonic test flight.

What Happens Between XB-1 Test Flights?

Step into the hangar with Senior Manager of Aircraft Systems Erin Young to learn what happens before XB-1 takes off and after XB-1 returns to the hangar.

When Every Step Matters

Go behind the scenes with Mareguis Killabrew, Boom’s Deputy Crew Chief, as he prepares XB-1—and our team—for safe and optimized test flights.

XB-1 Sets the Foundation for Overture

The Supersonic Blueprint

Designed in collaboration with its pilots, XB-1 demonstrates the technical innovations that enable Overture—and is born of an engineering and manufacturing culture where safety and quality come first.

Augmented Reality Vision System

XB-1 and Overture both have a long nose and a high angle of attack for takeoff and landing, which makes it difficult for pilots to see the runway in front of them. Both aircraft leverage an augmented reality vision system to enable excellent runway visibility—without the weight and complexity of a moveable nose like Concorde’s.

Digitally Optimized Aerodynamics

Engineers used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to explore thousands of designs for XB-1. The result is an optimized design that combines safe and stable operation at takeoff and landing with efficiency at supersonic speeds. CFD is also used extensively in the Overture program.

Carbon Fiber Composites

Both XB-1 and Overture are almost entirely made from carbon fiber composite materials, resulting in a sophisticated aerodynamic design with a strong, lightweight structure.

Supersonic Intakes

XB-1’s engine intakes slow supersonic air to subsonic speeds, efficiently converting kinetic energy into pressure energy, allowing conventional jet engines to power XB-1 from takeoff through supersonic flight. Learnings from the development of XB-1’s specialized intakes are being applied to Overture and its purpose-built turbofan engine, Symphony.

Safety First

XB-1 was designed with pilots in the loop and established the foundation of our safety-first culture. Pilots and engineers conducted exhaustive testing of flight hardware and software, including hundreds of hours in the simulator evaluating the aircraft, operations, and human factors.

XB-1 and Overture: Two Distinct Aircraft

Explore the connection between XB-1, our supersonic demonstrator, and Overture, our commercial airliner, with Boom’s VP Jeff Mabry.

Returning Civil Supersonic Flight 
to The Skies

Boom built and flew the first civilian supersonic jet since Concorde and will now scale the learnings to deliver supersonic travel with Overture, cutting travel times in half.

Supersonic Air Travel 
is Coming

Boom is driving innovation in aviation 
to ensure American leadership with 
supersonic air travel.

“I’ve been waiting over 20 years for an environmentally friendly successor to Concorde and XB-1’s supersonic flight is a major landmark towards my dreams being realized. When I last flew Concorde in 2003 I knew that this day would come.

The supersonic flight of the XB-1 supersonic demonstrator is a significant achievement toward making sustainable supersonic flight a reality, aboard Overture—my #1 choice as the successor to Concorde. I’m now looking forward to the next big step— the first running of the core of Boom’s ‘Symphony’ engine later this year.

Congratulations to Blake Scholl, all at Boom and especially its pilot, Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg. Having been Concorde’s Chief Pilot I envy his role in this exciting return towards mainstream supersonic flight.”

Captain Mike Bannister

former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways

Beyond Mach 1

The XB-1 program has built the foundation for Boom to deliver supersonic travel, onboard Overture.

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