Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 jet featuring AM parts breaks sound barrier
January 29, 2025
Boom Supersonic reports that its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft broke the sound barrier on January 28, 2025, reaching a top speed of Mach 1.122 during a test flight lasting 34 minutes. The aircraft features a number of metal additively manufactured parts, many of which relate to channelling air via complex vanes, ducts and louvres.
“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived. A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars. Next, we are scaling up the technology on XB-1 for the Overture supersonic airliner. Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone,” Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl, shared.
The additively manufactured parts are reported to include manifolds for the variable bypass valve (VBV) system that routes air released by the engine compressor to the aircraft’s outer mold line (OML); exit louvres for the environmental control system (ECS) that cools the cockpit and systems bay; louvres that direct the centre inlet’s secondary bleed flow to the OML; and NACA ducts and two diverter flange parts. NACA ducts are frequently used in high-speed aircraft to capture exterior air and channel it into the aircraft to cool the engine bays.
Following its first flight in March 2024, XB-1 completed a rigorous series of eleven human-piloted test flights under increasingly challenging conditions to evaluate systems and aerodynamics. Throughout the flight test campaign, the XB-1 team systematically expanded the flight envelope through subsonic, and supersonic speeds – while taking smart risks and prioritising safety.
Historically, supersonic aircraft have been the work of nation states, developed by militaries and governments. XB-1’s supersonic flight marks the first time an independently developed jet has broken the sound barrier.
Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg, Chief Test Pilot for Boom Supersonic, stated, “It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of the team that achieved this milestone—every single member of this team was critical to our success. Our discipline and methodical approach to this flight test program created the safety culture that made a safe and successful first supersonic flight possible. With the lessons learned from XB-1, we can continue to build the future of supersonic travel.”
