Boom Supersonic XB-1 Demonstrator Conducts Engine Tests for Next-Gen Supersonic Travel

Boom Supersonic has been spotted once again conducting test runs on the XB-1 supersonic demonstrator at Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field (MHV).

The aircraft, registered as N990XB, was filmed with its engines exposed at MHV on April 15, 2023, marking the first time the company has tested the engines on its supersonic demonstrator in more than a month.

Prior to April 15, 2023, when the aircraft was spotted on the radar for almost two hours between 2:16 PM (UTC -7) and 4:05 PM (UTC -7), it previously appeared on March 13, 2023, according to ADS-B Exchange data.

According to Boom Supersonic, the XB-1, is “intended to inform the design of Overture, Boom’s supersonic commercial airliner, and lessons from XB-1 have already helped optimize Overture”.

The company rolled out the XB-1 in October 2020, with the plan of flying the aircraft for the first time in 2021. However, it has not yet flown and Boom Supersonic’s timeline for the XB-1 shows that the demonstrator is scheduled to begin its flight testing campaign in 2023.

Unlike Overture, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 is powered by three General Electric (GE) J85 engines, a small single-shaft turbojet that is also used on fighter jets such as the T-38 Talon and the F-5.

Meanwhile, the company partnered with Kratos Defense, a military-focused manufacturer based in Florida, United States (US), to build the Symphony, the engine for the Overture. The supersonic jet is planned to have a Mach 1.7 cruise speed, carry between 65 and 80 passengers, and fly up to 4,250 nautical miles (7,867 kilometers).

When Boom Supersonic unveiled the Symphony, the company stated that the supersonic aircraft is on track to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2029, with production beginning in 2024. Subsequently, the manufacturer expects to roll out the Overture in 2026 and begin flight testing in 2027.

The Overture will be built in Greensboro, North Carolina, the United States (US), on a site at Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO).