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Boom Supersonic has lay a new stop number record for its XB-1 epitome aircraft while affirm the constancy of its design at high speeds for subsonic flight . The successful test puts us one step nearer to seeing the return of commercial-grade ultrasonic flight — 21 days after Concorde retreat .
On Nov. 5 , the XB-1 hit 629 miles per hour ( 1,012 km / hr ) for the first time — equivalent to Mach 0.82 , where Mach 1.0 is thespeed of auditory sensation . Marking its 7th test flight , this 55 - minute mission also reached a unexampled flying roof of 23,015 feet ( 7,015 meter ) and confirmed the base hit of its cockpit pressurization systems .
Eleven days later , the XB-1 completed its eighth test flight of steps , a 54 - minute run in which it carried out sustained Mach 0.8 operations without the assistance of its stability augmentation arrangement .
This automated system typically aid keep the XB-1 stable during flights , similar to thefly - by - wireelectronic stabilisation systems used in modern attack aircraft aircraft . Boom Supersonic wanted to demonstrate that the XB-1 is not entirely pendent on its stability augmentation system to stay in the air and can be manually operated at high speeds safely , the firm state .
The aircraft has been in growing for eight years and discharge its first test flight in l March 2024 – which lasted just 12 moment .
Other recent milestone include successful " flutter " tests at high stop number , which try the structure of the aircraft is not susceptible to destructive quiver due to air flow at gamy speeds , and thefirst successful in - flight role of its landing gear .
Boom Supersonic aims to nail 10 subsonic trajectory before pushing ahead with ultrasonic tests by the starting time of 2025 .
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" XB-1 continues to do at progressively fast pep pill and higher altitudes , expand the flight envelope step by step to prepare the aircraft and squad for break the intelligent roadblock at Mach 1 , " Boom Supersonic congressman said in astatement .
The XB-1 is a demonstrator craft , intended to make a case for the companionship ’s engineering to one day be used in commercial operations . These test flight are stress - test Boom Supersonic ’s in - house carbon fibre composite blending for airframes , as well as its custom engine intakes , which help traditional turbojet engine accelerate up to supersonic speeds more efficiently .
The XB-1 test will bung flat into the world of the Boom Overture , a proposedsupersonic passenger aircraftcapable of traveling as fast as Mach 1.7 — or 1,304 mph ( 2,099 km / h ) . This is nearlyas tight as the Concordeand would enable passengers to move around from London to New York or Newark in approximately 3 minute and 30 proceedings .
