The first private supersonic aircraft has taken to the skies since the Concorde was decommissioned two decades ago. On March 22, the Boom XB-1 supersonic demonstrator completed its maiden flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California.
«Today, the XB-1 flew in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947,» said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. «I’ve been looking forward to this flight since Boom was founded in 2014, and it marks a major milestone on our journey to bring supersonic travel to passengers around the world».
The first flight was essentially to show that the aircraft was capable of flying and maintaining structural integrity. At the helm of the XB-1 demonstrator was test pilot Bill «Doc» Shoemaker. He was followed by test pilot Tristan «Geppetto» Brandenburg in a supersonic T-38 aircraft. His goal was to observe the flight and confirm the altitude and speed.
The XB-1 is 19 meters long, has a wingspan of 6 meters and 3 GE J85-15 engines that provide a thrust of about 5.6 tons. During the first flight, the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 2170 m and reached a speed of 440 km/h.
This is not the performance expected of a supersonic aircraft. However, Boom says that once the XB-1’s aerodynamic characteristics and flight capability are confirmed, the aircraft will be able to increase its speed, and the next tests are already planned to exceed Mach 1, which is more than 1,000 km/h.
Several innovations have been implemented in the XB-1. Among them are an augmented reality system, digitally optimized aerodynamics, a carbon composite structure, and supersonic air intakes that slow the incoming air to subsonic speed. This allows the aircraft to use conventional jet engines.
The purpose of the XB-1 is to help develop technology that will be used in Overture’s supersonic jet aircraft, which is designed to carry up to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7.
Source: newatlas