Supersonic

There are more than a few ifs, buts and maybes hanging over the development of Boom's Overture supersonic airliner, but if the company can jump through the necessary hoops United Airlines will be ready to grab a slice of the action.

In a NATO exercise off the coasts of Scotland and Norway involving more than 3,000 military personnel, the Royal Navy has used artificial intelligence to help counter live-fire supersonic missile attacks in sea trials for the first time.

Aviation startup Aerion Supersonic is reportedly shutting down operations, ending ambitious plans to bring a supersonic business jet to market later this decade.

Aerion is looking beyond the 2027 launch of its AS2 supersonic business jet for the ultra-rich, to something for the rest of us. The AS3TM, if it gets built, would be a 50-passenger supersonic commercial airliner capable of speeds over Mach 4.

The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has released new regulations streamlining the path to supersonic flight testing over US soil, giving a new generation of super-fast aircraft a chance to prove their "boomless cruise" capabilities over land.

Boeing has been awarded a US$30-million contract to develop a supersonic ramjet missile in cooperation with the US Navy. The SPEAR flight demonstrator will help determine technical requirements for future missiles to defend Navy carriers.

Aviation startup Boom Supersonic has unveiled a fully assembled version of its XB-1 demonstrator. Built to break the sound barrier, the sleek aircraft is a one-third-scale prototype of what the company hopes will become the world’s fastest airliner.

A new crop of super-fast jets are springing up to pick up where the Concorde left off, putting supersonic civilian flight back on the menu after nearly 20 years. We spoke to Aerion's Gene Holloway about the upcoming AS2 and the technology behind it.

Virgin Galactic has taken the wraps off a new commercial jet concept that would fly at three times the speed of sound. The company has enlisted Rolls-Royce to design and develop the engine to power the delta-wing aircraft.

Aviation startup Boom Supersonic is pressing ahead with the development of its flagship supersonic aircraft, the Overture. These efforts have today received a significant shot in the arm, with the company announcing a new partnership with Rolls-Royce.

Vibration tests are underway on a key component of NASA's X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology aircraft that not only gives the pilot a virtual window on the airspace ahead, but also graphical flight data.

Although the Bloodhound supersonic car recently reached its fastest speed yet, it'll still need some more oomph to meet its next target of over 800 mph. To that end, its makers have announced that it's now being equipped with a zero-emissions rocket.