Son of Concorde supersonic jet crushes speed test – here’s how long it will take to travel from London to NYC

It really brings the boom.

A supersonic jet dubbed the “Son of Concorde” approached Mach 1 – the speed of sound – in a successful test on Tuesday that could fly passengers between New York and London in just over 3.5 hours.

The single-seat XB-1, a 201-foot-long test model from American company Boom Technology, reached 499 knots — about 574 miles per hour — during the historic test at 23,015 feet above Mojave, California.

It was the seventh of 10 planned flights since March by former Navy test pilot Tristan “Geppetto†Brandenburg, continuing “progress toward supersonic flight,” according to the company, and moving closer to returning to form. fast air travel. effectively and safely.

Its predecessor, the Concorde, could fly from London to New York in less than three hours before it was retired in 2003, not long after a catastrophic Air France crash in Paris in July 2000 that killed 109 on board and four people on the ground.

Both American Airlines and United Airlines have signed agreements to fly the innovative planes if Boom’s broader Overture project — its planned fleet of full-size supersonic passenger jets — takes off, according to the company, which is backed by the Forces US Air Force.

“I have long believed that Overture is the rightful successor to Concorde,” said former British Airways boss Concorde Pilot Mike Bannister. “After experiencing the Overture’s flight deck, which is extremely well designed and enjoyable to fly, my excitement and enthusiasm for this aircraft has only intensified.”

Boom predicted that flight speeds could reach Mach 1.7, well beyond current testing, and cut ground travel by 20%.

Its maximum range is just under 5,000 miles at a cruising altitude of 60,000 feet — typical flights are about half that altitude — and it can accommodate up to 80 passengers.

Along with a three-hour, 40-minute trip from NYC to London, Overture promises travel from New York to Rome, Atlanta to Madrid and Tokyo to Vancouver in about 4 ½ hours.

A trip from Washington, DC to Dublin would take about 3 1/2 hours, and Los Angeles to Tahiti would take about 4 1/2 hours, according to the company, while a trip from Montreal to Paris would be less than four hours. reported Space.com.

In July, Boom announced that a “full-scale engine core” would be operational by the end of 2025.

A deadline for commercial use has not been published.