The first supersonic demonstrator Boom XB-1 took to the skies after Concorde

It became known that for the first time, after the British-French Concorde was taken out of service two decades ago, and even earlier our domestic Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic aircraft took to the skies. Tests took place in California, and it was a prototype of the future passenger airliner, called Baby Boom. It is designed specifically to test the latest technologies for commercial supersonic flight.


The first stage of flight testing of the XB-1 took place under the control of test pilot Bill Shoemaker. The main objective was to demonstrate the integrity of the structure during the flight, and this was accomplished.


Basic technical indicators, such as altitude and speed, were also recorded. Their maximum performance reached 2170 meters and 440 km/hour, respectively. Let us clarify that the length of this aircraft is 9 m, the wingspan is 6 m. The XB-1 uses three GE J85-15 engines as a power plant.

According to the head of the manufacturing company, Mr. Boom, the next stage will be confirmation of the aerodynamic characteristics of Baby Boom and its airworthiness. After this, it is planned to increase the speed until a figure exceeding Mach 1 is achieved in the next tests. At the same time, as previously stated, the cruising speed of the XB-1 should be within Mach 2,2.

Innovative solutions used in the development of the XB-1 include the use of a carbon composite in the aircraft's structure, the presence of an augmented reality vision system and special air intakes that slow down incoming air to normal speed and allow the aircraft to be propelled by conventional jet engines. In addition, the aerodynamics of the Baby Boom demonstrator were optimized as much as possible using digital technology.


The XB-1's primary mission is to help develop the technology that will be used to create the Overture supersonic passenger jetliner. It is planned to be capable of carrying up to 80 passengers at a speed of Mach 1,7.