THIS supersonic jet flies at speed of sound, can travel from London to NYC in 3.5 hours

In a successful test, a supersonic aircraft—which has the nickname “Son of Concorde”—came close to the speed of sound Mach 1 on Tuesday (Nov 5). This aircraft can now help travellers fly between New York and London in only three and a half hours.

This 201-foot-long single-seat XB-1 test model by American company Boom Technology reached 499 knots, which is around 574 miles per hour, in the milestone test, which took place at 23,015 feet above Mojave, California.

This was the seventh planned flight, which was carried out by former Navy test pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg since March to “progress toward supersonic flight” as per the company, and the test has brought them close to restoring the rapid form of air travel safely and effectively.

The aircraft’s predecessor, the Concorde, could fly from London to New York in just three hours before it retired in 2003.

Both United Airlines and American Airlines have finalised a deal to fly the groundbreaking planes if the Overture project of Boom, which includes a planned fleet of full-sized passenger supersonic jets, takes off, as per the company, which has the backing of the US Air Force.

“I’ve long believed that Overture is the rightful successor to Concorde,” former British Airways Chief Concorde Pilot Mike Bannister said, as per The New York Post. 

“After experiencing Overture’s flight deck, which is incredibly well designed and delightful to fly, my excitement and enthusiasm for this aircraft have only intensified,” he added.

According to Boom, the flight speed can reach Mach 1.7, which is beyond current testing and can reduce travel time by 20 per cent.

The maximum range of the flight is just under 5,000 miles at a 60,000-foot cruising altitude and can accommodate nearly 80 passengers. Generally, flights fly at 30,000 altitudes.

Overture promises a 3-hour and 40-minute trip from NYC to London and 4 hours and 30 minutes from New York to Rome, Atlanta to Madrid, and Tokyo to Vancouver.

As per the company, the flight from Washington, DC, to Dublin will take 3 hours and 30 minutes, and from Los Angeles to Tahiti in 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Boom in July announced that a “full-scale engine core” will become operational by the end of 2025.

(With inputs from agencies)