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

  • SpacePirate@lemmy.ml
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    26 days 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
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      26 days ago

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

      • SpacePirate@lemmy.ml
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        26 days 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.