Concorde successor’s first test flight in 2018

26th March 2018

The Colorado-based startup company Boom Technology has announced that its XB-1 “Baby Boom” flight demonstrator would make its first flight in 2018. It could be the first supersonic commercial flight since the Concorde retired in 2003.

The company has already attracted several buyers such as Virgin Galactic and Japan Airlines. The latter even invested $10 million in the project. In total, five airlines would be interested by the 55-seat supersonic airliner for a total order of 76 aircraft.

The final plane is expected to fly at a speed of 2716km/h, which is 500km/h more than the Concorde. That speed would allow going from London to Auckland in less than six hours and 45 minutes, non-stop. But thanks to new technologies regarding fuel efficiency, the tickets would be cheaper than they were for the Franco-British “pocket-rocket”. Its delivery should start by 2023.

But for now, Boom Technology is still preparing its prototype, with the General Electric military-grade J85 engines just delivered.

Source – AeroTime