First civilian aircraft breaks sound barrier in historic test
On January 28, 2025, the Boom Supersonic XB-1 test aircraft reached an impressive speed of 1.13 Mach during a flight over the Mojave Desert in California. This makes it the first civilian aircraft to break the sound barrier. Thousands of people observed the flight.
Just 12 minutes in the air were enough for the XB-1 Boom Supersonic pilot to surpass the speed of 1.13 Mach for the first time. During the 30-minute flight, he reached a similar speed twice. This achievement brings us closer to a new era of faster and more efficient air travel, continuing the legacy of the Concorde (which flew at 2 Mach) in a modern version.
XB-1 Boom Supersonic flew over 1200 km per hour
To break the sound barrier, the pilot climbed to an altitude of 10,700 metres (over 10 kilometres). At this altitude, the speed of sound is around 1,060 km/h (due to lower air temperature), so the record-breaking 1.13 Mach, which the XB-1 Boom Supersonic pilot flew at, is an astounding 1,210 km/h. This is the first instance of a privately developed civilian jet achieving supersonic speed, which marks a significant step toward the return of supersonic commercial travel after the legendary Concorde was retired in 2003. Boom Supersonic invested over ten years of work to achieve today's test, which, as it turns out, was worth the effort.
The new generation supersonic aircraft was piloted by Tristian Brandenburg "Geppetto". Thousands watched the real-time supersonic test flight of the XB-1, thanks to a YouTube broadcast. Commentators highlighted that this pilot has vast experience in similar flights and has spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in the air. In the live coverage comments, comparisons were made between today's XB-1 Boom Supersonic pilot's feat and the supersonic flights depicted by Tom Cruise in the movie "Top Gun Maverick".
XB-1 is just the beginning of the dream for commercial supersonic air travel. It is a prototype that will support the design of the Overture aircraft, which, in turn, is set to become an ecological alternative to the Concorde.
Boom Supersonic Overture is a planned passenger aircraft intended to carry between 64 and 80 passengers and fly at a cruising speed of about 2 Mach, cutting travel time on selected routes in half. Its design is in the early stages of development, and the company plans to introduce the Overture for commercial use by 2029. Following these recent successes, some airlines, including United, American, and Japan Airlines, have shown interest in the company's plans and are in discussions to acquire such aircraft for their own use.
