Boom XB-1 Completes Third Flight
The Boom XB-1 supersonic demonstrator made a third successful test flight on 13 September at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, piloted by Chief Test Pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’…
September 14, 2024
The Boom XB-1 supersonic demonstrator made a third successful test flight on 13 September at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, piloted by Chief Test Pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg. The aircraft made its maiden flight on 22 March 2024, and then flew again on 26 August 2024, and the pace of test flying is gathering pace as planned.
Geppetto, took XB-1 to the maximum pitch and yaw attitudes that Boom expects to see in flight, as part of a systematic expansion of the flight envelope, and also checked the performance of the environmental control system (ECS), which controls the temperature and pressurization of the cockpit.
The XB-1 reached a new maximum speed of 232 knots and an altitude of 15,000 feet during the 32 minute flight. The landing gear was extended and retracted at 215 knots (a higher speed than on the previous flight, marking the second of three steps in working up to the maximum safe speed for raising and lowering the gear, which is 225 knots). The team continued to test the stability augmentation system, which was demonstrated during the second flight.
The sequencing of test flights will increase through the next phase of testing with a total of approximately 10 flights expanding the flight envelope to confirm its performance and handling qualities before the aircraft reaches supersonic speeds.
Boom has already secured the first-ever Special Flight Authorization (SFA) to Exceed Mach 1 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and XB-1 test flights will continue to be conducted in the R-2508 Complex undertaking supersonic operations in the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor and in a portion of the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor within the R-2515 airspace, which has been used extensively for research and military supersonic operations.
The XB-1 will provide the foundation for the design and development of Boom’s supersonic Overture airliner.
