GabyA flight from London to New York in just 3.5 hours may seem like too fantastical a prospect to be true. However, in just 4 years, such a fastest airliner could become a reality. Its prototype has already undergone thorough ground testing.
The fastest airliner is already on the way to being created.
The Boom Supersonic Overture, dubbed the “Son of Concorde,” is considered the fastest airliner in the world. It can reach speeds of 2092 km/h.
The scaled-down prototype of this aircraft, named XB-1 Baby Boom, has completed key milestones during testing on its way to its first flight, as noted by the company. If it passes the tests, Overture will be unveiled in 2026, while the fastest aircraft will make its first flight in 2027 and transition to commercial passenger flights in 2029.
At the beginning of this year, the XB-1 Baby Boom moved from the company’s hangar in Colorado to the Mojave Air and Space Port in California to continue flight preparations. The company explained that it has just completed “taxi testing.” At this stage of the aircraft’s development, they check whether it can taxi down the runway at speed (without taking off).
As noted by the publication Daily Mail Blake Scholl, the founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, stated that the recent progress achieved in the first flight of the XB-1 reflects the collective efforts of the team to create and safely operate the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet. With a length of 18.8 meters, the XB-1 Baby Boom is approximately one-third the size of the Overture (61 meters), which will ultimately be able to carry up to 80 passengers for both business and leisure.
More environmentally friendly than its predecessor, the fastest airplane.
Overture, which is still in development, will be designed to operate on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from eco-friendly and renewable sources. It will also feature a quieter “sonic boom” than the original Concorde, which was known for its disruptive noise.
The Overture is powered by four powerful engines mounted on its wings. This means that each of them requires less thrust. Overall, according to Boom Supersonic, this reduces the noise level.
However, Overture will travel at a speed of approximately 2092 km/h, which is less than the maximum cruising speed of the Concorde at 2180 km/h. Despite this, industry heavyweights interested in reducing their carbon footprint are already ready to order these fastest airliners.
Along with the successful “taxi tests,” one-third of the company’s XB-1 Baby Boom model has received an experimental flight certification. This certification is granted to more unconventional aircraft so that the manufacturer can conduct flight tests. As company representatives note, the certificate was issued after a thorough inspection of the aircraft. There are also approval letters from airspace authorities that permit the aircraft to fly over the Mojave Desert.
“Son of Concord” in place of “father”
The historic first flight of the Boom Supersonic XB-1 will take place in the same airspace where the first aircraft flew faster than the speed of sound. Captain Charles “Chuck” Yeager first broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, from which the new aircraft takes its name, in October 1947. The legendary rocket-powered plane, designed and built in 1945, reached a speed of 1,127 km/h.
As Bill Shoemaker, the chief test pilot of Boom Supersonic, notes, it is fitting that the XB-1 is now moving towards its first flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where over 50 first flights and other significant aviation events have taken place. The pilot eagerly anticipates the opportunity to fly the XB-1 here, drawing on the achievements of other talented engineers and pilots who inspire the mission to make supersonic travel mainstream every day.
Boom Supersonic is one of several companies working on the development of commercial airliners dubbed the “Sons of Concorde,” competing to become the first successor to the iconic British-French aircraft that made its first successful flight in March 1969.
Concorde made its first commercial flights in 1976, but they were discontinued in October 2003 after the crash of Air France Flight 4590. Other reasons for the closure included high fuel costs, concerns about its noise, and a preference for lower fares over speed. Since then, no government or manufacturer has been able to build a commercial aircraft that can fly faster than the speed of sound.
