The Boom Supersonic XB-1 supersonic jet prototype is the first American supersonic civilian aircraft. The prototype, with a test pilot on board, took off and managed to maintain a speed of Mach 1.1 for four minutes, exceeding this mark twice more before landing.
To date, only two civilian aircraft have exceeded the speed of sound: the Franco-British Concorde and the Soviet Tu-144. Boom is striving to create supersonic civil aviation in the United States, and if this happens, there will be practically no competitors to date.
Test flights of the Supersonic XB-1 prototype began in the spring of 2024. But the plane reached the supersonic limit only now, on January 10, 2025. After analyzing the collected data, the test pilot was given permission to break the sound barrier on his next flight, which he successfully accomplished.
Boom's ultimate goal is to build a 64-seat supersonic aircraft, called the Overture. It will fly at a speed of Mach 1.7. The plane must be quiet enough, but also be able to break the sound barrier and fly at supersonic speeds to be allowed to fly over populated areas (Concorde and TU-144 had problems with this).
The prototype flies with a standard or slightly modified GE J85-15 engine. The company is developing engines for the liner itself. Boom has some joint projects with the Pentagon, but the Overture project is outside of any military contracts.