MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
From Avweb:
Boom Supersonic flew its XB-1 demonstrator—the world's first privately developed faster-than-sound civil aircraft—for the first time at Mojave Air & Space Port, California, on March 22.
The flight, which Boom says was successful, marks a key step toward the development of the company's planned Mach 1.7 Overture airliner later this decade, and the start of a short test campaign that is expected to see the XB-1 fly supersonically at least three times.
Powered by three afterburning General Electric J85s, the 71-ft.-long, delta-winged aircraft took off from Mojave's runway 30 at approximately 7:28 a.m. Pacific Time and climbed as high as 7,120 ft. Boom's chief test pilot Bill "Doc" Shoemaker conducted a flying qualities assessment during the 12-min. flight, reaching a top speed of 238 kt.
Accompanied by a Northrop T-38 chase aircraft, Shoemaker checked the XB-1's handling at various angles-of-attack (AOA) up to 14 deg., while flying a circuit overhead California City and North Edwards before returning to land at 7:40 a.m."
Boom Supersonic flew its XB-1 demonstrator—the world's first privately developed faster-than-sound civil aircraft—for the first time at Mojave Air & Space Port, California, on March 22.
The flight, which Boom says was successful, marks a key step toward the development of the company's planned Mach 1.7 Overture airliner later this decade, and the start of a short test campaign that is expected to see the XB-1 fly supersonically at least three times.
Powered by three afterburning General Electric J85s, the 71-ft.-long, delta-winged aircraft took off from Mojave's runway 30 at approximately 7:28 a.m. Pacific Time and climbed as high as 7,120 ft. Boom's chief test pilot Bill "Doc" Shoemaker conducted a flying qualities assessment during the 12-min. flight, reaching a top speed of 238 kt.
Accompanied by a Northrop T-38 chase aircraft, Shoemaker checked the XB-1's handling at various angles-of-attack (AOA) up to 14 deg., while flying a circuit overhead California City and North Edwards before returning to land at 7:40 a.m."
It does look a lot like some of the aircraft designs from that era.
