'Son of Concorde' supersonic jet breaks sound barrier... here's how long it'll take to travel from NYC to London
'Son of Concorde' supersonic jet breaks sound barrier... here's how long it'll take to travel from NYC to London
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A supersonic jet nicknamed the 'Son of the Concorde' has officially traveled faster than the speed of sound for the first time. The XB-1 demonstrator aircraft took off from the Mojave Air & Space Port in California at 11:22am ET on Tuesday, soaring to 35,000 feet above the surface and hit 844 miles per hour - the speed of sound travels at 761 miles per hour.
![[The jet took off near the Edwards Air Force Base]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/17/94603277-14334171-image-a-27_1738084331732.jpg)
The mission lasted for less than one hour, but saw XB-1 break the sound barrier two times during the flight. Aviation startup, Boom, said XB-1 is paving the way for the full production model Overture that will take passengers from New York City to London in three hours and 30 minutes. It takes about eight hours on a traditional commercial plane.
![[XB-1 hit a speed of Mach 1.1, surpassing the speed of sound that travels at Mach 1. The jet measures 71 feet long with just one seat for the pilot. The jet was accompanied by a Mirage F1 chase plane]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/17/94603225-14334171-image-m-29_1738084465165.jpg)
Overture will stretch 199 feet and travel at more than twice the speed of sound, with a range of 5,180 miles. Boom has received 130 pre-orders for Overture, with American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines securing fleets. The flights from NYC to London flights are predicted to cost about $5,000 per customer, compared to Concorde's old seats decades ago, which would amount to $20,000 adjusted for inflation today.
Boom is the first independent company ever to design, build and fly a supersonic aircraft, but the last craft to ever hit the speed since Concorde was retired in 2003. The XB-1 demonstrator aircraft took off from the Mojave Air & Space Port in California at 11:22am ET on Tuesday, soaring to 35,000 feet above the surface and hit 843 miles per hour - the speed of sound travels at 761 miles per hour.
