Boom Supersonic Achieves Supersonic Flight

The first civil supersonic jet made in America breaks the sound barrier in historic Mojave airspace

XB-1 demonstrator provides the foundation for Boom's supersonic airliner, Overture

MOJAVE, Calif. and DENVER, Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Boom Supersonic, the company building the world's fastest airliner, Overture, today announced the successful first supersonic flight of its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. Boom designed, built, and flew the world's first independently developed supersonic jet—the first civil supersonic jet made in America.

Flown by Boom Chief Test Pilot Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg, XB-1 entered the supersonic corridor and reached an altitude of 35,290 feet before accelerating to Mach 1.122 (652 KTAS or 750 mph) – breaking the sound barrier for the first time. Historically, supersonic aircraft have been the work of nation states, developed by militaries and governments. XB-1's supersonic flight marks the first time an independently developed jet has broken the sound barrier.

"XB-1's supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived," said Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl. "A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars. Next, we are scaling up the technology on XB-1 for the Overture supersonic airliner. Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone."

The first supersonic jet built from airliner technology, XB-1 incorporates many of the key features found on Overture, such as carbon fiber composites, digital stability augmentation, and an augmented reality vision system for landing visibility.

Following its inaugural flight in March 2024, XB-1 completed a rigorous series of 11 human-piloted test flights under increasingly challenging conditions to evaluate systems and aerodynamics. Over the course of the flight test campaign, the XB-1 team systematically expanded the flight envelope through subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds—while taking smart risks and maintaining safety as top priority.

"It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of the team that achieved this milestone—every single member of this team was critical to our success," said Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg, Chief Test Pilot for Boom Supersonic. "Our discipline and methodical approach to this flight test program created the safety culture that made a safe and successful first supersonic flight possible. With the lessons learned from XB-1, we can continue to build the future of supersonic travel."

XB-1 provides the foundation for Overture, validating key technologies while establishing a safety-first culture. Technologies proven through XB-1's test program that will also apply to Overture include:

XB-1's supersonic flight took place in the same historic airspace where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947, among many other historic firsts. The first supersonic flight of XB-1 marks the first human-piloted civil supersonic flight since Concorde's retirement over 20 years ago, paving the way for the return of commercial supersonic flight onboard Overture. Overture will carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7, about twice the speed of today's subsonic airliners, on over 600 global routes.

Overture has an order book of 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. In 2024, Boom completed construction on the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, which will scale to produce 66 Overture aircraft per year. Optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability, Overture and its bespoke propulsion system, Symphony, are designed to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

For more information about XB-1, please visit: https://boomsupersonic.com/xb-1

For more information about Overture, please visit: https://boomsupersonic.com/overture

About Boom Supersonic
Boom Supersonic's mission is to make the world dramatically more accessible through flights that are faster, more affordable, more convenient, and more sustainable.

Boom is developing Overture, the world's fastest airliner, optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability. Overture will fly at twice the speed of today's airliners and is optimized to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Overture's order book stands at 130 aircraft, including orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. Boom is working with Northrop Grumman for government and defense applications of Overture. Suppliers and partners collaborating with Boom on the Overture program include Aernnova, Aciturri, Collins Aerospace, Eaton, Honeywell, Latecoere, Leonardo, Safran Landing Systems, Universal Avionics, and the United States Air Force.

Symphonyâ„¢ is the purpose-built turbofan engine that will enable supersonic flight. The Boom-developed engine is supported by world-class suppliers including Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT), a Kratos company, Colibrium Additive, and StandardAero.

XB-1 is Boom's technology demonstrator aircraft and the world's first independently developed supersonic jet. The aircraft first took flight in Mojave, CA in March 2024 and completed a series of flight tests, culminating in its first supersonic flight in January 2025. For more information, visit https://boomsupersonic.com. 

Photos and video available at https://boomsupersonic.com/newsroom/media-assets

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** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Boom Supersonic Achieves Supersonic Flight

MY THO , Vietnam, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Across Vietnam, a generation of digitally fluent farmers is embracing technology to bring fresh life to rural communities. Among the tools reshaping their fields are agricultural drones developed by XAG, which help save labor, boost yields, and create promising careers for young people returning home.

One such returnee is 30-year-old LÆ°u Văn Äoàn. Slim and tan from years of outdoor work, Äoàn starts his day at 3 a.m., when the village lies silent in darkness. Clad in his company's green shirt, he readies the XAG P150 agricultural drone for a long day ahead. From early morning to late afternoon, Äoàn travels throughout Tiá»n Giang province, providing crop protection services to local farmers, including his own rice paddies.

"I used to work at a factory far from home, barely earning enough and missing my family," he recalls. When his brother introduced him to agricultural drones, Äoàn immediately saw their potential and began learning. "I found my passion for technology. Soon I was piloting drones every day," he says. After five years in the field, Äoàn now earns a living from work he finds far more rewarding and exciting.

His story reflects Vietnam's broader farming challenges. According to analysis from the Vietnamese Elderly Population, the country's farming communities are rapidly aging, with about 7.96 million elderly people living in rural areas. Meanwhile, millions of young Vietnamese have left for city jobs, creating severe labor shortages in agricultural regions.

Äoàn understands why farming has lost its appeal. Traditional farming can be grueling—manual spraying means trudging through rough, muddy fields up to 12 times each season, often with little protection. "Carrying heavy equipment under the hot sun, chemicals burning your skin—sometimes the fields were almost impossible to cross," Äoàn remembers. Now, with just a smartphone and an autonomous drone, he finishes jobs faster and with far less risk. "It's much easier," he says.

For Äoàn, the XAG P150 agricultural drone has been a game-changer. Equipped with a remarkable 70kg payload and route planning using centimeter-accurate RTK positioning, the P150 achieves consistent and even coverage over fields of various shapes and sizes. Unlike manual spraying, which often misses spots or overlaps, the drone delivers thorough application. "When spraying herbicides by hand, weeds sometimes persist," Äoàn notes. "With drones, fields are often completely weed-free."

At first, many farmers were hesitant: "The spray uses too little water—how will the rice grow?" they questioned. But seeing is believing. As the P150, with its 70-liter smart liquid tank, hovers over the paddies, its quad-rotor design generates a downdraft that ensures pesticides coat both sides of the leaves. "You can clearly see that drone spraying makes the rice look healthier," Äoàn says, proud to have convinced the skeptics.

This effectiveness also translates to economic benefits: farmers using Äoàn's drone service have cut their use of plant protection products by 30%. "The savings on pesticides cover what farmers pay for the drone service!" Äoàn proudly shares. These real-world results also echo findings from the Institute of Agricultural Economics in Vietnam, which reports that agricultural drones can cut pesticide use by up to 30% and increase crop yields by as much as 15%.

Even and precise spraying is especially crucial in Vietnam's fast-growing fruit export sector. For crops like durian and jackfruit, strict residue limits are enforced by importers throughout Asia and beyond. With the P150, Äoàn can precisely map areas, set exact dosage rates, and guarantee even coverage—helping farmers maintain access to high-value overseas markets and ensuring their fruit meets tough international standards.

Like many young Vietnamese, Äoàn is part of a new wave: tech-savvy, ambitious, and deeply rooted in their hometowns. "Drones have made a huge difference for us," he says. "As things develop, I hope to expand, add more drones, and help more farmers succeed."

For Äoàn and his peers, the workday still starts before sunrise and ends late—but now, drone technology has changed what's possible in the fields. By adopting these tools, a growing community of drone pilots is solving two problems at once: making farming more efficient and creating tech-driven careers that are drawing young Vietnamese back to the land they've always known.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Vietnam's Young Farmers Fly High with XAG Agricultural Drones