Boom Supersonic is getting closer to living up to its name and went higher and faster on its seventh test flight on Nov. 5. The prototype got to Mach .82 (499 knots) and 23,000 feet and company officials are talking about going supersonic in the next few flights. "XB-1, Boom's supersonic demonstrator aircraft, continues to progress toward Mach 1," the company said in a statement. Test pilot Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg was at the controls for the flight.
Saw Concorde take off a few times, once from a A320 told to wait while the lady passed by.
Each time the noise was incredible. It was not only the boom which caused noise problems.
Having three afterburners in a civilian airport will restrict the times the plane will be able to take off and land, and I do not see the billionaire owners schlepping off to desert airports to start their trips…
Very interesting, noted the pilot is not wearing gloves/nomex, which I guess is testament to expected level of safety. Also, the standby instrument is a GRT Avionics Mini; great to see they’re using small companies that make great gear!
I was at a formal critique of an F111 check ride by a standards puke and all went well until the evaluator mentioned that I didn’t wear my nomex gloves during the flight. The visiting General attending the debrief asked me why I didn’t wear them. In my best Robin Olds mode I replied that I don’t wear gloves when flying or making love, Sir. And then I pointed out that wearing gloves was an air training command thing only. It didn’t go too well after that. The desk jockeys hate a smart ass pilot.
The prospect of yet another domestic supersonic aircraft brings back memories of my youth as an air traffic controller (Bos ARTCC), controlling aircraft (nonradar) over Nantucket, and with a mix of climbing/ descending TransAtlantic east/west traffic crossing with Bermuda/Miami north/southbound traffic;
HORRORS!
here comes Concord out of JFK, climbing to 22,000, practically demanding an immediate climb to 43,000 or it would burn so much fuel that it would have to return to JFK!
Beautiful video. But since the Concorde flew for several years, I’m not sure of this reinvention of a similar machine. Guess they know. Also, that page of checklist fluttering would drive me crazy as a distraction.
I flew on the Concorde once, probably late summer 1981. I remember the fighter plane like takeoff. Once we left the ground, the pilot must have banked to almost 45 degrees probably for noise abatement. Otherwise, a smooth flight with an excellent meal. Before closed off cockpits so you could stand behind the pilots. Tight space wise. Hit Mach 2.0. Do not remember the altitude.
I was responding to Jon P’s comment; didn’t realize the new engines have no reheat. The R-R involvement sounded promising and lent credibility but apparently wasn’t a priority for them. Still, you’d think they’d go with an existing engine vs developing a new design.
Using the camera is an interesting solution to the high AOA approach. Wonder why they didn’t do that with Concorde. Sure is a lot simpler than dropping the nose.
Apparently existing suppliers were not willing to commit to an engine for supersonic transport aircraft, takes investment.
So instead Boom is obtaining investment itself and put together a consortium of experienced engine parts makers and assemblers. I don’t remember where the design expertise is to come from. Standard Aero has several decades of overhaul experience, including Allison turboprops and probably turbojets from fighter aircraft.
Boom certainly has morphed its design from their first notions.
But disappointingly only plans M1.7 for the airliner, whereas Concorde was 2.07 IIRC limited by temperature of aluminum skin even painted white, Boom wanted to go a bit further to an inflection point in drag. I hope they take the XB-1 demonstrator to that speed.
I wish development would be on stuff that would help us, like big fat airliners that had nice wide comfortable seats. The development on “extreme” aircraft like electric and supersonic don’t seem to really address the crappiness of modern air travel.
Afterburners are hard on engines, I understand, and heavy.
Water injection has been used, also hard on engines. IIRC on B-52s and even on a few B747s - one record weight takeoff from BFI consumed 6,000 lbs of water and fuel in the takeoff.