Civilian jet breaks sound barrier in historic first

(NewsNation) — The XB-1 aircraft manufactured by Boom Supersonic broke the sound barrier while making a historic test flight over the Mohave Desert.

It's the first time an independently developed jet has done so, and Boom Supersonic touted the plane as the "first supersonic jet made in America."

The XB-1, nicknamed "Baby Boom," was piloted by Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg and reached an altitude of 35,290 feet before accelerating to Mach 1.122, which is 750 miles per hour.

Air Force pilot Capt. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947, flying a rocket-propelled experimental aircraft in the same location.

XB-1 underwent 11 test flights prior to Tuesday's historic flight. The company said the jet includes features like an augmented reality system to help with takeoff and landing and is made almost entirely from carbon fiber composite materials.

Boom Supersonic's next project is Overture, an aircraft that will build on the success of XB-1, with the goal of being able to carry between 64 and 80 passengers at Mach 1.7, around 1,295 miles per hour.

“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived,”  said Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl. “A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars."

Around 130 Overture planes have been preordered including orders from American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines. The company built a factory in North Carolina in 2024 and will eventually produce 66 planes a year.