Full BOOM XP-1 Flutter narrated 4th flight test
 

Not often you see a complete flight test of a prototype from the cockpit and chase plane with narration.

This channel is documenting the flight tests of the 1/3'rd demonstrator that is exploring supersonic flight for a future airline.

In this video, the chase mirage F1 struggles to keep up with it's ability to accelerate. It has already demonstrated that with its landing gear down it will out climb at t38 with its landing gear up.

You Tube

Boom has a great way to share flight test information in videos. This is setting standards in many ways. I am saying this as a Boom sceptic but they deserve respect for this.

They posted an update on their webiste - picked up by a few news companies - about their first supersonic trials.

They say:
BECAUSE IT WAS 1950 and 60 AND NO ONE HAD DONE IT BEFORE.

No acknowledgement of what went before and how they are building on that. No mention of 50 years of innovation in materials, fuels and electronics. It is great that they got there but, may I say: Typical Americans?
Boom Website

Well this typical American remains unimpressed... yes, first time a privately funded, privately developed aircraft has gone supersonic. Yes it took a lot of smart people and engineering talent to get there, at Boom and over the last 50 years. But it's a technology demonstrator that just repackages 50 years of innovation in materials, fuels, and electronics.

I'm still fuzzy on how much, if any, of the technology demonstrated on the XB-1 translates into the eventual Overture supersonic airliner.

At one level this is essentially a home-built, done by a guy who got others to help pay for it and who organized a bunch of worker and engineers to get it done. This is a large accomplishment even if, technology wise it's not entirely new. Show of hands among those who built a multi-billion dollar company because they wanted a plane that no one else would build for them. This was literally the reason given by the Wright brothers; that in spite of all the announcements, no one had a plane for sale and they wanted one.

I don't share their vision that this will end up in commercial service as I am unsure if the regulatory agencies are looking for another window-banging take-off screamer operating out of civilian airports.

I am intrigued by the claim they were contracted to build a version for use as Air Force One.

<wild guess> If there was a contacted to enquire about building one as an A.F.O. - might that have been a henchman speaking on behalf of a recently sworn in/at president? That enquiry could have come in at almost any time from that kind of direction.

As usual, Scott Manley with a top synopsis.

Just watched the live-streamed Test flight. They hit Mach 1.14.

Now retired.
After 7 flights?
https://www.heise.de/en/news/Boom-Su...-10278712.html