Boom Technology now plans to fly a supersonic demonstrator for a future Mach 2.2 airliner up to two years late by the end of 2019, says chief executive Blake Scholl.
The XB-1 demonstrator, nicknamed "Baby Boom", was scheduled to achieve first flight in late 2017, but that time line was delayed a year ago to later in 2018.
During an airshow presentation yesterday, Scholl confirmed that the first flight for the XB-1 will be delayed again to 2019.
The entry into service of the M2.2, 55-seat airliner remains set for 2025, despite the new delay, Scholl says.
Boom fell behind schedule by taking more time to optimise the aerodynamics of the XB-1 and switching to a different variant of the GE Aviation J85 engine.
"The big risks in the programme are in the rear-view mirror," Scholl says.
The $200 million airliner is being designed to travel 2.6 times faster than most subsonic jets, but for the same cost per seat mile as a business-class flight.
A future factory operated by Virgin Galactic in California will be sized to build 60 aircraft per year.
Get all the coverage from the Farnborough air show 2018 on our dedicated event page
Source: Flight Daily News
