BOOM UNVEILS THE ERA OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHT

First independently developed supersonic aircraft, Xb-1 demonstrator prototype will begin flight testing in 2021

- AYUSHEE CHAUDHARY

THE AGE OF SUPERSONIC flights is inching closer to reality with advancements happening quite at the speed of the concept itself. Towards this, Boom Supersonic, the aerospace company building the world’s fastest airliner, unveiled its supersonic demonstrator,

XB-1 on October 7. With the delta wing that balances low-speed stability at takeoff and landing with high-speed efficiency, the jet is propelled by three J85-15 engines that are designed by General Electric, and provide XB-1 more than 12,000 pounds of thrust, allowing it to fly at breakthrough supersonic speeds.

“Boom continues to make progress towards our founding mission—making the world dramatically more accessible. XB-1 is an important milestone towards the development of our commercial airliner, Overture, making sustainable supersonic flight mainstream and fostering human connection,” said Blake Scholl, Boom founder, and CEO during the virtual rollout of the demonstrator prototype. During the rollout, Scholl also explained the importance of the aircraft’s engine intakes, which slow the speed of the airflow to roughly half the speed of sound to accommodate the subsonic GE engines. Boom has worked for the last five years with RollsRoyce on the planned medium-bypass turbofans for the Overture.