Mach 2.2 supersonic airliner prototype released

Denver-based aircraft manufacturer Boom Technology unveiled the XB-1 supersonic passenger plane on October 7 (local time). The company has started pre-sales of the supersonic passenger plane Overture, which is scheduled for the first comparison in 2026. The XB-1 is a prototype.

The XB-1 has a length of 21 m and a wingspan of 7.4 m. It has a top speed of Mach 2.2 and can fly from New York to London in 3 hours and 30 minutes. Three J85-15 engines designed by General Electric are mounted inside, producing 12,000 pounds of thrust. The carbon composite airframe can maintain sufficient strength and rigidity even when exposed to high temperatures and stress caused by supersonic flight.

As previously stated, the XB-1 is a prototype of the supersonic airliner Overture, scheduled to make its first flight in 2026. If the Overture were realized through the knowledge gained with the XB-1, it would be able to travel at twice the speed of current commercial aircraft.

The company said that the difference between the past patrol aircraft and the XB-1 is that it is an independently designed supersonic jet equipped with all the necessary technologies for realizing supersonic travel, and it is not in the state of drawings or CG, and it is an airplane designed safely even for humans. As for the future, the airline industry is being severely hit by the COVID-19 infection, but even though it may take several years, air travel will eventually revive, and at this point airlines will find opportunities for growth and differentiation. When it recovers from the blow of the epidemic, it is explained that the supersonic blur will be in the spotlight.

The Overture is expected to be a 55-75 seater passenger plane and is expected to begin commercial flights in 2029 if all goes well as planned. Related information can be found here.