Boom Supersonic XB-1 breaks the Sound Barrier

Boom Supersonic XB-1. © Boom Supersonic

Boom Supersonic XB-1, the first civil supersonic jet made in America, breaks the sound barrier.

The Boom Supersonic XB-1 prototype has broken the sound barrier over the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. Piloted by Chief Test Pilot Tristan Brandenburg, it reached Mach 1.122.

Boom Supersonic XB-1. © Boom Supersonic

Climbing to 35,290 feet (19,756 meters), the XB-1 became the first piloted commercial supersonic flight since Concorde’s retirement in 2003. It is also the first privately funded and U.S.-built supersonic aircraft.

XB-1 breaks the sound barrier from the viewpoint of our chase aircraft:

This flight wasn’t just about setting records—it was a key test for technologies that will be used in Boom’s Overture airliner, set to debut in 2029. The Overture will fly at Mach 1.7, carrying up to 80 passengers on over 600 routes worldwide.