‘Son of Concorde’ jet capable of flying from London to New York in 3.5 hours achieves major milestone smashing high-speed test
- This is the Boom XB-1, a next-gen supersonic plane
- It broke its own speed record in its latest flight test
- If all goes well, we could be on supersonic flights in no time
Published on Nov 07, 2024 at 4:12 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Nov 08, 2024 at 10:35 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Boom Supersonic has been on a roll recently – it has enjoyed the best year yet, with its ‘Son of Concorde’ XB-1 plane breaking records left and right.
If you’re feeling a little lost, the XB-1 is a demonstrator aircraft from Boom that aims to bring back supersonic commercial flights.
The last time we had supersonic passenger travel was the Concorde era, which met with a tragic ending.
However, the aviation industry might be looking at another golden era because this aircraft is the real deal.
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Son of Concorde XB-1 supersonic plane is on a roll
Meet the Boom XB-1, an aircraft capable of flying from London to New York in just 3.5 hours.
Well, it’s not complete there yet.
You see, it began test flights earlier this year, and the aviation firm plans to make the XB-1 reach supersonic speeds before 2025.
The last we heard about it was in August when it completed its second test flight.
It broke a speed record by reaching a top speed of 232 knots or 266mph at an altitude of 10,400 feet.
It was a remarkable achievement, but Boom has certainly been keeping busy.
Since then, the XB-1 went through several more test flights and broke its own record with each passing test.
Boom Supersonic is fully committed
According to the latest updates from Boom Supersonic, the XB-1 managed to hit a whopping 499 knots.
That translates to roughly 549mph, or Mach 0.82.
It’s a massive win for the aviation industry, but the supersonic plane hasn’t reached the finish line yet.
The ultimate goal is for the XB-1 to surpass Mach 1, which is the speed of sound.
When it does that, it will achieve ‘supersonic speeds’ — which is the company’s stated goal.
Furthermore, Boom Supersonic will build its eventual Overture aircraft, which many people are calling the natural successor to Concorde.
All things considered, the aviation scene is going to change at a swift pace in the next few years.
It won’t be long before everyone reaches New York from London in 3.5 hours, which is exactly what Boom’s CEO thinks.
