‘Son of Concorde‘ Supersonic Jet Shatters Speed Test Record – Here’s How Fast It Could Cut Travel Time Between London and New York
The future of air travel may be closer than we think, with a new supersonic aircraft, dubbed the “Son of Concorde,” achieving remarkable success in a recent speed test. The groundbreaking test, conducted on Tuesday, demonstrated the jet’s ability to approach the speed of sound, or Mach 1, marking a significant step toward potentially reducing flight times between London and New York to a little more than three and a half hours.
The test was conducted by Boom Technology, an American aerospace company, using its 201-foot-long prototype aircraft, the XB-1. During the milestone test, the aircraft reached a speed of 499 knots, or approximately 574 miles per hour, at an altitude of 23,015 feet over Mojave, California. This flight represents the seventh in a series of ten planned test flights since March, all aimed at advancing the development of supersonic air travel. Former Navy test pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg was at the controls, continuing the company’s efforts to restore supersonic flight in a safe and practical manner.
The XB-1 test flight is a step toward realizing the company’s broader goal: the development of Overture, a supersonic jet that could eventually transport passengers at speeds significantly faster than today’s commercial airliners. Overture’s expected travel times are especially enticing, with the potential to cross the Atlantic between New York and London in just three and a half hours, drastically cutting the current 7-hour flight time.
This new development brings to mind the iconic Concorde, the supersonic jet that once revolutionized transatlantic travel. The Concorde was capable of flying from London to New York in under three hours before it was retired in 2003. The aircraft’s retirement came after a tragic accident involving an Air France Concorde in July 2000, which led to the deaths of 113 people. Despite this setback, the Concorde’s legacy in supersonic travel remains unmatched, and many believe that Boom Technology’s Overture could be the long-awaited successor that builds on the Concorde’s achievements.
Boom Technology has already secured partnerships with major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines and United Airlines, both of which have signed agreements to incorporate Overture into their fleets if and when the jet enters commercial service. The company is also backed by the U.S. Air Force, further bolstering its ambitions for supersonic flight.
Mike Bannister, former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways, expressed his belief that Overture is the rightful heir to Concorde’s legacy. After experiencing the Overture’s flight deck firsthand, he commented on its well-designed and pilot-friendly controls, adding that his excitement and enthusiasm for the aircraft have only grown stronger.
Looking ahead, Boom Technology is optimistic about the jet’s potential. The company has predicted that Overture will be capable of reaching speeds of Mach 1.7—well beyond the speeds tested so far—and that it could cut flight times by as much as 20% over land. Overture’s operational range is also impressive, capable of covering nearly 5,000 miles at a cruising altitude of 60,000 feet. By comparison, most commercial airliners fly at around half that altitude.
In terms of passenger capacity, Overture is expected to accommodate up to 80 people, offering a more compact and efficient travel experience. Once fully operational, Overture could revolutionize air travel with significantly reduced flight times. For example, a flight from New York to London could be completed in just three hours and 40 minutes, while other routes such as New York to Rome, It would take roughly four and a half hours to get from Atlanta to Madrid and from Tokyo to Vancouver.
Other routes, such as Washington, D.C. to Dublin or Los Angeles to Tahiti, could see flight times of about three and a half hours and four and a half hours, respectively. Even transatlantic flights like Montreal to Paris could be completed in under four hours.
In July of this year, Boom Technology also announced plans to have a full-scale engine core operational by the end of 2025, signaling that the company is making rapid progress toward bringing supersonic flight back to the skies. With continued innovation and support, Overture may soon become a fixture in the world of air travel, making long-haul flights faster and more efficient than ever before.
This achievement in supersonic testing marks just the beginning of a new era of high-speed air travel, and as technology continues to advance, the dream of flying across the globe in mere hours may become a reality for the next generation of travelers.
Boom Supersonic Accelerates Development of Overture Aircraft and Symphony Engine, Unveils Revolutionary Cockpit Innovations
Boom Supersonic, the pioneering aerospace company focused on bringing supersonic commercial flight back to the skies, has announced significant advancements in both its Overture aircraft and Symphony engine programs. These developments were unveiled at the prestigious Farnborough International Airshow, marking a series of important milestones that demonstrate the company’s commitment to revolutionizing air travel. As part of its ongoing efforts to build the world’s fastest airliner, Boom has introduced a newly redesigned cockpit, rethinking the traditional flight deck to enhance pilot experience and ensure the highest levels of safety.
Alongside this, the company revealed that testing of its innovative Symphony engine is well underway, with the first full-scale engine core expected to be operational within the next 18 months. Furthermore, Boom revealed that the assembly of Symphony engines will take place at the StandardAero facility in San Antonio, Texas, further cementing the company’s rapid development approach.
Boom Supersonic’s recent announcements follow a series of key accomplishments that highlight the company’s rapid progress. In March, the company completed the historic first flight of its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator, a critical step in testing the technologies that will be incorporated into its future Overture aircraft. Then, in June, Boom completed construction of its state-of-the-art Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, marking another major achievement in its ambitious timeline.
Blake Scholl, the founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, emphasized the company’s accelerated momentum in the supersonic flight sector, saying, “Passengers and airlines are hungry for supersonic flight. Following XB-1’s successful test flight, we’re moving faster than ever. Overture’s flight deck features cutting-edge technology, shaped by extensive feedback from pilots, resulting in a flying experience that is both innovative and intuitively familiar. Our Symphony engine is advancing swiftly, having already transitioned from design into hardware testing, and we are on track to have a fully operational engine core by next year. Our rapid development approach is setting us ahead of schedule, and we’re excited to continue this momentum.”
Reinventing the Cockpit: A New Flight Deck for Overture
One of the most exciting developments in Boom’s Overture aircraft is the completely redesigned cockpit, which represents a leap forward in aviation technology. Built with input from experienced pilots across commercial, business, and military aviation sectors, Overture’s flight deck incorporates the latest advancements in avionics, automation, and flight control systems, all designed to improve pilot efficiency and safety.
The flight deck is built around the next-generation Honeywell Anthem avionics suite, offering pilots a sophisticated suite of tools that enhance situational awareness and flight management. One of the most notable innovations is the introduction of force-feedback sidesticks, a first for any airliner. By delivering tactile feedback from the aircraft as well as the co-pilot or autopilot’s inputs, these sidesticks enable pilots to “feel” the aircraft’s response in real time, making the control system more responsive and intuitive. This feature enhances pilot control and improves the overall safety of the flight.
Additionally, Overture’s flight deck includes augmented reality systems for takeoff and landing, eliminating the need for the droop nose feature that was once a hallmark of the Concorde. Pilots can use head-worn devices and primary flight displays that provide real-time visual overlays, making the approach to landing much clearer and safer, particularly in challenging weather or low-visibility conditions.
The cockpit also features large 17-inch high-definition touchscreens that replace the hundreds of physical buttons and switches found in traditional aircraft cockpits. These touchscreens allow pilots to access all critical aircraft functions through intuitive software, while still maintaining physical controls for essential systems such as throttle, landing gear, and the control stick, ensuring that the most vital functions are always accessible.
Importantly, Overture’s flight deck will support over-the-air software upgrades, ensuring that pilots and airlines benefit from continuous improvements and the latest technology enhancements without needing to physically update the aircraft. This feature will allow Boom to deliver incremental updates and new features regularly, further enhancing the performance and capabilities of the Overture fleet as it enters service.
Boom has already conducted successful flight deck tests with commercial pilots, including Mike Bannister, the former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways. Bannister was enthusiastic after seeing the flight deck of the Overture for himself, stating, “I’ve long thought that Overture is the rightful successor to Concorde. After flying Overture’s flight deck, which is incredibly well-designed and delightful to fly, my excitement and enthusiasm for this aircraft have only intensified.”
Symphony Engine Development: Fast-Tracking Supersonic Power
Alongside the Overture’s cockpit innovations, Boom has made impressive strides with its Symphony engine program. The Symphony engine, purpose-built to power supersonic flight, has now moved into the hardware testing phase, with several critical components being evaluated, including the combustor aerodynamics. Symphony’s development is progressing at an impressive rate, with hardware tests beginning just 18 months after the engine’s initial announcement.
Boom is undertaking a comprehensive series of more than 30 hardware rig tests for Symphony, aimed at validating and optimizing key engine components. This includes everything from fan and nozzle acoustics to combustor fuel efficiency. The company’s aggressive timeline will see the first full-scale engine core operational by late 2025, with extensive testing on the compressor, combustor, and turbine sections. The data gathered will help refine Symphony’s engineering and accelerate the production process for a fully certified engine.
In addition to its internal development efforts, Boom has expanded its partnership with StandardAero, a leading MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) provider, to include Symphony engine assembly. StandardAero will assemble and test Symphony engines at its state-of-the-art facility in San Antonio, Texas, with the capability to scale production to 330 engines annually within a 100,000-square-foot facility. This expansion further accelerates Boom’s ability to bring Symphony to market on schedule.
ATI, Inc., a pioneer in cutting-edge aerospace materials, has teamed up with Boom to supply high-temperature parts for Symphony’s high-pressure compressor and turbine assembly. These advanced nickel-based superalloys will ensure that Symphony delivers the performance and reliability necessary for sustained supersonic operation.
Looking Ahead: Certification and Production
Boom Supersonic remains on track to have Overture certified by both the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) by the end of the decade. The company’s vision is to make supersonic flight a reality, enabling passengers to travel faster and more efficiently than ever before, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and sustainability.
Overture is not only designed for speed; it is optimized for sustainability. The aircraft will be capable of flying at twice the speed of current airliners while running on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). With a current order book of 130 aircraft, including orders from major airlines like American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines, Overture’s future in commercial aviation looks promising.
Boom’s Symphony engine, developed in partnership with top aerospace suppliers, is set to power this next-generation airliner, driving a new era of high-speed, sustainable air travel. As Boom continues its partnerships and builds momentum, the dream of supersonic commercial flights is steadily moving closer to reality.
XB-1 Flight Seven: Key Achievements and Progress Toward Supersonic Flight
On November 5, 2024, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator successfully completed its seventh test flight of the planned ten subsonic flights, marking another crucial milestone in the aircraft’s development toward supersonic flight. This flight, which lasted approximately 55 minutes, was primarily focused on expanding the aircraft’s flutter envelope and conducting vital cockpit pressure testing. These tests are essential for ensuring the aircraft’s safe handling characteristics as it approaches the higher altitudes and speeds required for supersonic flight.
The flight achieved a new top speed of Mach 0.82, equivalent to 499 knots true airspeed, setting a new benchmark for XB-1’s performance. During this flight, the team also carried out a series of tests on the Flutter Excitation System (FES) at progressively higher speeds—Mach 0.7, 0.75, and 0.8—to ensure the aircraft’s stability and predictable behavior as it nears transonic speeds. These tests are crucial in confirming that the XB-1 will be able to handle the aerodynamic forces experienced during the transition to supersonic flight.
In addition to testing higher speeds, the aircraft reached a new altitude record of 23,015 feet. This new altitude allowed the team to conduct an important cockpit pressurization test at the maximum pressure differential, verifying that the pressurized cabin system is operating safely and effectively at this altitude. Ensuring proper cockpit pressurization is vital for maintaining pilot safety and comfort as the aircraft approaches even higher altitudes, such as the 30,000 feet it will reach when it transitions into supersonic flight.
The flight also marked another important step in XB-1’s journey to achieving supersonic speeds, with the team incrementally expanding the aircraft’s operational envelope. As the aircraft continues to perform at progressively higher speeds and altitudes, it is steadily advancing toward its goal of breaking the sound barrier at Mach 1. This flight serves as part of the ongoing series of test flights designed to prepare both the aircraft and the team for the upcoming transition to supersonic flight, laying the groundwork for the eventual success of Boom’s larger Overture aircraft program.
With each test flight, XB-1 is gathering critical data and advancing toward its ultimate objective—ushering in a new era of commercial supersonic aviation.
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