Boom Achieves Key Milestones in Development of Supersonic Airliner

by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 10:50 AM ET, Thu August 24, 2023

Colorado-based Boom Supersonic, which is seeking to introduce the world's first independently developed supersonic jet, has announced significant progress toward its goal.

On Thursday, Boom announced several key milestones for its technology demonstrator aircraft XB-1. The aircraft has undergone extensive ground testing, including taxi testing at Southern California's Mojave Air & Space Port and recently received an experimental airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

What's more, Boom has also secured letters of authorization to allow Chief Test Pilot Bill "Doc" Shoemaker and test pilot Tristan "Gepetto" Brandenburg to fly XB-1.

The achievements are critical to the development of Overture, a supersonic airliner capable of flying at Mach 1.7, which is roughly twice the speed of today's fastest airliners. Overture is also sustainable as it's designed to run on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Overture could arrive as early as 2025 and carry its first passengers by 2029.

"The recent progress made towards XB-1's first flight reflects the team's collective efforts to build and safely fly the world's first independently developed supersonic jet," Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl said in a statement.

"It's fitting that XB-1 is now progressing toward first flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port, home to more than 50 first flights and other significant aviation events," added Shoemaker. "I'm looking forward to flying XB-1 here, building on the achievements of other talented engineers and pilots who inspire us every day to make supersonic travel mainstream."