From London to New York in just 3 hours: a new supersonic jet sets another record (video).

The American company Boom Technology has successfully conducted the eighth test flight of its supersonic aircraft, the XB-1, which serves as a prototype for the upcoming supersonic passenger airliner, Overture. The XB-1 achieved a record altitude of 7,632 meters and, similar to its previous flight, reached a maximum speed of 1,012 km/h. This advancement brings Boom Technology closer to surpassing the speed of sound and marks a significant step forward in the revival of supersonic passenger travel, reports Interesting Engineering.

The era of supersonic passenger travel ended 21 years ago with the final flight of the Concorde. Since then, people have been limited to conventional airliners for intercontinental travel, which can be quite time-consuming. For instance, a typical flight from London to New York averages around 8 hours. However, the new supersonic aircraft, Overture, being developed by Boom Technology, will enable the same journey in just 3.5 hours. This aircraft is designed to fly at a speed of 2,100 km/h, nearly double the speed of sound (1,234 km/h).

Before developing the Overture aircraft, Boom Technology constructed the XB-1 supersonic plane, which is a scaled-down version of the future passenger airliner. This model allows the company's engineers to test design features, as well as the vehicle's control and maneuverability.

The first test flight of the XB-1 occurred in March of this year. In early November, it embarked on its seventh test flight, achieving a record speed of 1,012 km/h and ascending to an altitude of 7,015 meters. Recently, the eighth test flight took place, during which the XB-1 again reached the same speed but set a new altitude record by climbing to 7,632 meters. This flight lasted 54 minutes.

Boom Technology plans to conduct two more test flights this year to bring the XB-1's speed closer to the speed of sound. Early next year, the company expects the supersonic aircraft to break the sound barrier, marking a crucial milestone in the development of the Overture project.

Considering that supersonic planes generate significant noise when breaking the sound barrier, Boom Technology is working to ensure that both the XB-1 and the future Overture do not produce this noise. While a precise timeline for the full version of the Overture supersonic aircraft is not yet known, it has been previously reported that it should be developed within the next few years.

Regarding the recent flight test of the XB-1, engineers confirmed that during the flight, the supersonic aircraft can operate without the assistance of a stability augmentation system. The test demonstrated that the pilot can safely control the aircraft in manual mode, even at subsonic speeds.

Another significant achievement from the recent test was the confirmation that the XB-1's structure is not subjected to destructive vibrations caused by airflow at subsonic speeds.