Boom Supersonic has conducted the first test flight with its prototype supersonic aircraft.
The XB-1 craft is one-third the size of the Overture supersonic passenger jet, for which Boom is targeting a certification date of 2029.
The XB-1 took its first flight out of the Mojave Air & Space Port in California on Friday, reaching an altitude of 7,120 feet and a speed of 273 mph. Boom used the flight to perform an initial assessment of the plane's handling qualities and to assess aircraft stability while in descent, the company said. Boom now plans to gradually gear-up XB-1 flying until it goes beyond the Mach 1 speed of 767 mph.
The XB-1's first flight came after years of delay. Boom had originally planned to begin test flying in 2021.
Overture will be manufactured at a Greensboro, N.C., plant that Boom expects to finish construction on this year. The plane is being designed to carry 64 to 80 passengers at up 1,300 mph, about twice the speed of today's subsonic commercial jets.
The Overture would be the first supersonic commercial aircraft in the sky since the Concorde was grounded in 2003.