New ‘Son of Concorde’ Plane That Flies From London To New York In 3.5 Hours Completes Test Flight

A new jet that would reduce long-haul journey times by hours has successfully completed its first test flights.

Despite supersonic overland civilian flights being banned, an aviation company claims it is paving the way for them to once again become the norm.

Created by Boom Sonic, and dubbed ‘the son of concord’ the XB-1 prototype model is the basis for the company’s Overture commercial jet line.

With the design first unveiled in 2016 testing has been underway since 2017, but last month saw test pilot, Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg taking the helm for the airliner’s first test flight.

The tests took place in the Mojave Desert, California and saw the craft reach altitudes of 10,400ft and a top speed of 232 knots, flying for approximately 15 minutes, according to a press release.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Geppetto explained that it was a thrilling experience to pilot the XB-1 jet.

He said: “The first time I went to land on an aircraft carrier, I had a hard time sleeping that night, and I also got nervous for some of the important flights for my qualifications.

“Interestingly though, I wasn’t really that nervous for the flights in the XB-1. I knew the team I was working with, I knew the air. I know this aeroplane better than any aeroplane I've ever flown.”

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He added that he was a ' little bit nervous' before takeoff, adding: “This aeroplane's only ever flown for 12 minutes so far, this is a brand new aeroplane.

“All of those things were frantically going through my head and then he [chase pilot] calls for my brake release. I relieve the brakes and the throttle is going into full afterburner, I can feel the acceleration and then it’s like ‘Oh okay, I know how to do this!

“This is what I’ve been training for, this is what I’ve been waiting for."

Geppetto also said he thinks the airliner will be better for passengers, but also for pilots as the short flight times will allow them to spend more times with their families.

He added that he believes it will be good value for money - despite the airline only including business class seats.

“If you have the option of choosing business class on a wide body jet that takes six hours to get somewhere or a comparable fare where you spend half as much time in the air, I would choose the one that got me there faster.” he said.

Following the test flight, Boom Sonic CEO and founder, Blake Scholl, said: “XB-1 had a fantastic second flight this morning.

“Initial results indicate we’ve successfully resolved the findings from Flight One and are excited to continue flight testing on the path to supersonic flight.

“I’m proud of the team. Today’s flight is another step toward the return of supersonic passenger travel.”

The XB-1 plane is currently being used for test flights before Boom reveals the actual plane that’ll be used for the 3.5 hour journeys, The Sun reports - and Geppetto will be manning the controls for the remainder of its trial run.

It’s predicted that a round trip from London to NYC on the Overture will cost around $5,000 (£3,823) in comparison to the Concord, which would have its passengers pay $20,000 (£15,293) today, taking inflation into account.