(CNN) - More than 50 years after Concorde took off, a brand new supersonic jet is preparing to take off.
Denver-based start-up Boom Supersonic has announced that it will deploy the XB-1, a 1: 3 scale prototype of its next commercial supersonic jet Overture, on October 7, with test flights starting in 2021.
"XB-1 is the first step to bringing supersonic travel to the world," said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, in a statement posted on the company's website.
Resumption of supersonic flight
"Flying twice as fast means we can travel twice as far - bringing more people, places and cultures to our lives."
According to Boom, the purpose of the XB-1 is to demonstrate and prove the "key technologies" for Overture, such as advanced carbon fiber composite construction and computer-optimized high-performance aerodynamics.
The company also released images of the experimental aircraft, described as "the fastest private aircraft in history", in the hangar, including the completion of the installation of its wing.
"Our experiences in the Covid-19 pandemic underscore for all of us the basic human need for personal connection," says Scholl.
"Faster trips allow us to discover the peoples, cultures and places of the world. With the XB-1, we demonstrate that we are ready to bring back the supersonic."
The results of the XB-1 test program, which claims to be 100% carbon neutral, will allow the company to refine the design of the opening of the supersonic aircraft.
"Demand has increased"
"We are ensuring that the supersonic future is secure and ecologically and economically sustainable," he added.
"We have learned that the demand for supersonic has grown even faster than expected."
Before the pandemic, Boom had raised at least $ 6 billion in pre-orders for the plane, which has a price of $ 200 million, with buyers including Virgin Group and Japan Airlines, who invested $ 10 million in the company in 2017.
If all goes according to plan, Overture, which is designed to accommodate between 55 and 75 people, will begin passenger flights in 2030. It will focus on more than 500 routes mainly transoceanic which will benefit from the Mach-2.2 speeds of the plane - such as New York to London, a trip that would only take three hours and 15 minutes.
The aircraft has been designed with the latest noise reduction technologies and will only fly at supersonic speeds while flying over the oceans to ensure that populated areas are not affected by sonic booms.
Boom isn't the only company trying to bring back supersonic flights.
Aerion Corporation is currently developing an AS2 supersonic passenger aircraft, which can hold up to 12 passengers, at its headquarters in Reno, Nevada.
Paul Sillers also contributed to this report.
