Concorde ceased flying back in 2003, and for the first time since it is time for a new supersonic aircraft to grace the skies with its presence again. What you’re looking at is Boom’s XB-1 jet. The official launch date for it is October 7th, and you can RSVP at Boom’s website to witness the launch in real-time.
Boom is a company based in Colorado and has been working on quicker air travel modes since it was created in 2014. This also involves the return of supersonic jets. XB-1 is the going to be a supersonic non-commercial jet that holds the title of the world’s first independently developed supersonic aircraft. It will not be carrying any passengers, but it will pave the road towards that future as well.
Boom’s founder and CEO, Blake Scholl, said, ‘XB-1 is the first step in bringing supersonic travel back to the world. Flights at twice the speed mean we can travel twice as far, bringing more people, places, and cultures into our lives.’ XB-1 has been designed to collect data for Boom’s supersonic commercial jet, Overture, that will become the world’s fastest commercial airliner to have existed. Overture is aimed at transporting people to their destinations in half the time that it currently takes to travel.
Boom will be using XB-1 to learn about cost-savings, safety, and the efficiency of the Overture. Scholl emphasizes safety and said, ‘Whenever we face a decision between safety and schedule, safety comes first. As a company, we’re cultivating a safety-first culture, and that’s something that will serve us well moving into the development of Overture.’ Boom is also running the world’s first 100% carbon-neutral flight test program with its XB-1. XB-1 looks quite futuristic and sleek.
Boom is not the only company working on supersonic aircraft – NASA is also working on its X-59 supersonic jet designed by Lockheed Martine. X-59 is slated to take to the skies in 2021 and be much quieter as opposed to the Concorde.