Aerospace and Defense

This Week in Engineering

One supersonic jet company flies, another crashes 

Boom Supersonic flies a test vehicle, while Exosonic closes down.

From the dawn of aviation, industry built a technological base on small-scale entrepreneurs. The Wright brothers were the original startup, and today, a more sophisticated breed of small firms are working to restart supersonic commercial flight, stalled since the retirement of Concorde. It’s a daunting task, and most companies don’t make it to the hardware stage.

Torrance, California-based Exosonic is the latest to fail, announcing their closure due to a cash shortfall, despite USAF interest in drone variants of their supersonic technology. Meanwhile, Boom Supersonic has moved to flight testing of a technology demonstrator called XB-1, as part of an ambitious program to develop a commercial airliner and a new jet engine to power it.  

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Written by

James Anderton

Jim Anderton is the Director of Content for ENGINEERING.com. Mr. Anderton was formerly editor of Canadian Metalworking Magazine and has contributed to a wide range of print and on-line publications, including Design Engineering, Canadian Plastics, Service Station and Garage Management, Autovision, and the National Post. He also brings prior industry experience in quality and part design for a Tier One automotive supplier.