Boom Supersonic is halfway along in the ten test flights of the proof of concept XB-1 before supersonic flight.

  • SpacePirate
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    1 month ago

    If they are ramping the test flight cadence up to two a month, and do not encounter any insurmountable obstacles, they could break Mach 1 by the end of the year.

    • shalafi@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 month ago

      Sounds neat and sounds like you know more than I do. What’s the endgame here? Civilian supersonic passenger jets?

      • SpacePirate
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        edit-2
        1 month ago

        Yes, spiritual successor to the Concorde, but with a specific eye towards ensuring operational profitability at business class rates. 60-80 passengers, New York to London in 3.5 hours (down from 7), Tokyo to Seattle in under 5 (down from 9), LA to Sydney in 7 hours (down from 15). 130+ orders already from virtually all of the major airlines, production in 2027 and operational routes expected by 2030.