FAA grants Boom permission to test XB-1 supersonic flight

 The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken a historic step by granting Boom Supersonic authorization to conduct flight tests of its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft at supersonic speeds. This authorization, known as Special Flight Authorization (SFA), is the first of its kind ever issued for a supersonic civil aircraft in the USA, where non-military aircraft are currently prohibited from breaking the sound barrier over land.

This follows the successful maiden flight of the XB-1, which took place at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California on March 22. The SFA will enable Boom to carry out test flights in the restricted airspace around Edwards AFB, including the Black Mountain supersonic corridor and part of the high-altitude supersonic corridor.

The XB-1 will be accompanied by a civilian-registered Northrop T-38/F-5 fighter, also authorized to reach supersonic speeds. Testing is authorized up to an altitude of 30,000 feet, and will limit the XB-1 and fighter to a total of 20 coupled flights by April 2025.

Boom plans to carry out between 10 and 20 flights to gradually extend the XB-1's flight envelope and validate its performance at Mach 1 and beyond. Since its successful maiden flight, when the XB-1 reached an altitude of 7,120 feet and speeds of up to 238 knots (440 km/h), the team is now preparing to cross the Mach 1 threshold.

Boom has already secured 130 orders and pre-orders for its Overture project, which includes customers such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. The Overture promises to carry between 64 and 80 passengers at Mach 1.7, almost double the speed of current subsonic airliners, while being optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability, including the ability to use 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

The Overture's development sees the collaboration of renowned partners and suppliers such as Aernnova, Leonardo, Latécoère, Aciturri, Safran Landing Systems, Eaton, Collins Aerospace, and the U.S. Air Force, with the Symphony engine designed by Boom and world-class companies such as Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT), GE Additive, and StandardAero.

Source : Air-Journal