Boom Supersonics’ newest venture, the XB-1, has just completed its fifth test flight and has already reached a new maximum speed and altitude. The aircraft managed to reach a top speed of Mach 0.69, or 324 knots, and a new maximum height of 17,800 feet on the 7th of October, paving the way for further success for the trijet demonstrator. The success of this fifth test flight is another stepping stone towards the Boom Overture project.
What is Boom Supersonic XB-1?
The Boom Supersonic XB-1 is a supersonic demonstrator aircraft, which is an aircraft designed to test new supersonic technologies in preparation for the development of larger, more sophisticated supersonic transport airliners. Boom Technologies, or Boom Supersonic, has been working towards the development of its own supersonic airliner, the Overture. The Boom Supersonic XB-1 is an aircraft designed to be a third of the scale of the Overture and is used to test the limits of supersonic technology.
The XB-1 is a trijet aircraft that uses three General Electric J85 engines. It is designed to reach and maintain speeds of up to Mach 2.2 and can have a range of over 1,000 nautical miles. The aircraft utilises ‘digitally optimised aerodynamics, carbon fibre composites, advanced supersonic intakes and an augmented reality vision system used for take-off and visibility’, according to Boom’s live blog. The XB-1 began testing subsonic flights in March 2024, and is expected to have 10 test flights before finally proceeding to supersonic speeds.
What makes this test so special?
The fifth test flight of the XB-1 was the first to successfully use the flutter excitation system (FES). The FES, or flutter as it is more commonly known, is when an aircraft responds abnormally to forces of lift, drag, thrust and weight, usually in the form of oscillating movements like the flapping of a bird’s wings. Aircraft must test their flutter systems to prepare for turbulence during commercial flights.
During the test flights of the XB-1, the flutter system was gradually tested, which is why the maximum speed reached during the fifth flight test was Mach 0.69 and not Mach 1. This test flight also lasted longer than previous instances, taking a total of 50 minutes as opposed to Test 4 which lasted 48 minutes and Test 3 which lasted 32 minutes.
As mentioned previously, the Boom Supersonic XB-1 is only a demonstration of what Boom’s Overture supersonic airliner is expected to be. More testing of the XB-1 is needed to see what the full potential of the Overture aircraft could look like. Boom Supersonics’ goal is to complete the Overture 1 airliner by 2030 when they expect to order at least 130 aircraft. Until then, all eyes will be on the XB-1 to better understand the future of supersonic air travel.
