Boom Supersonic XB-1 achieves mach 0.69 on fifth flight test

XB-1 took to the skies for its fifth flight from the Mojave Air & Space Port on October 7th, climbing to 17,800 feet in the R-2515 Airspace.

Flown by Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, XB-1’s fifth successful flight marks the halfway point of the 10 planned subsonic test flights before breaking the sound barrier.

This is the fastest, highest, and longest flight so far as XB-1 progresses through the flight test program on the way to supersonic flight later this year.

XB-1 provides the foundation for the design and development of Overture, Boom’s supersonic airliner. XB-1 leverages state-of-the-art technologies to enable efficient supersonic flight including digitally-optimized aerodynamics, carbon fiber composites, advanced supersonic engine intakes, and an augmented reality vision system for takeoff and landing visibility.

The flutter excitation system (FES) was repaired and reinstalled for this flight in order to continue data collection at the Mach 0.69 flutter point. The FES is a critical system during this phase of test flights, and will be used extensively to clear the flight envelope up to transonic speeds. Flying and handling quality checks were performed at progressively higher speeds, including pacer checks and flutter tests as XB-1 reached a new top speed at Mach 0.69 (or 428 knots, true airspeed). The landing gear was retracted immediately following takeoff, which will become standard procedure during future test flights.

Boom’s Flight Test Program Approach

Nick Sheryka, XB-1 Chief Flight Test Engineer, discusses Boom’s progressive approach to flight testing.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 10th October 2024 | Issue #767