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Morgan Rushworth PBXS CNC 3100/120 Press Brake
120-ton capacity, 
3,100mm bending length, 
260mm stroke, 
4,767hrs 
(2021)
120-ton capacity, 3,100mm bending length, 260mm stroke, 4,767hrs (2021)...

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Boom’s XB-1 breaks the sound barrier for the first time

Posted on 29 Jan 2025. Edited by: John Hunter. Read 431 times.
Boom’s XB-1 breaks the sound barrier for the first timeUS-based Boom Supersonic, the company building the world’s fastest airliner, Overture, has confirmed the successful first supersonic flight of its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. Boom designed, built, and flew the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet — the first civil supersonic jet made in America.

The XB-1 entered the supersonic corridor and reached an altitude of 35,290ft before accelerating to Mach 1.122 and breaking the sound barrier for the first time. Historically, supersonic aircraft have been the work of nation states, developed by militaries and governments. XB-1’s supersonic flight marks the first time an independently developed jet has broken the sound barrier.

Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl said: “XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived. A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars. Next, we are scaling up the technology on XB-1 for the Overture supersonic airliner. Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone.”

The first supersonic jet built from airliner technology, XB-1 incorporates many of the key features found on Overture, such as carbon fibre composites, digital stability augmentation, and an augmented reality vision system for landing visibility.

Supersonic speeds

Following its inaugural flight in March 2024, XB-1 completed a rigorous series of 11 human-piloted test flights under increasingly challenging conditions to evaluate systems and aerodynamics. Over the course of the flight test campaign, the XB-1 team systematically expanded the flight envelope through subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds — while taking smart risks and maintaining safety as a top priority.

Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, chief test pilot for Boom Supersonic, said: “It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of the team that achieved this milestone — every single member of this team was critical to our success. Our discipline and methodical approach to this flight test program created the safety culture that made a safe and successful first supersonic flight possible. With the lessons learned from XB-1, we can continue to build the future of supersonic travel.”

XB-1’s supersonic flight took place in the same historic airspace where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947, among many other historic firsts. The first supersonic flight of XB-1 marks the first human-piloted civil supersonic flight since Concorde’s retirement over 20 years ago, paving the way for the return of commercial supersonic flight onboard Overture. Overture will carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7, about twice the speed of today’s subsonic airliners, on over 600 global routes.

Overture has an order book of 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. In 2024, Boom completed construction on the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, which will scale to produce 66 Overture aircraft per year. Optimised for speed, safety, and sustainability, Overture and its bespoke propulsion system, Symphony, are designed to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).