Boom! MicroTau prepares to go supersonic
In collaboration with the Defense Innovation Unit, Boom Supersonic, and Air Force Operational Energy, MicroTau's Riblet Package has undergone the first tests on Boom's XB-1 technology demonstrator.
MicroTau's Riblet Package is a modification that reduces drag on the skin of an aircraft, decreasing fuel consumption and emissions while improving mission capability. This initial test is to demonstrate durability in transonic and supersonic flight in collaboration with the Defense Innovation Unit, a DoD organization focused on the rapid adoption of commercial and dual use technologies.
This technology supports Boom’s mission to remove barriers to supersonic aviation and is helping improve the efficiency of the broader US Air Force and global aviation fleet. The durability testing supports the DIU’s mission of accelerating commercial technology for national security. XB-1 was selected as a test platform to evaluate the material durability at transonic and supersonic speeds on a demonstrator that has characteristics similar to many aircraft in the USAF inventory.
The Boom XB-1 takes flight with patches of MicroTau’s Riblet Package adhered to the underside.
About Boom Supersonic
Boom Supersonic’s mission is to make the world dramatically more accessible through flights that are faster, more affordable, more convenient, and more sustainable.
Boom is developing Overture, the world’s fastest airliner, optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability. Overture will fly at twice the speed of today’s airliners and is optimized to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Media Contact: press@boomsupersonic.com
About MicroTau
MicroTau’s mission is to improve the efficiency of the global aviation fleet. It specializes in the development and manufacture of a drag-reducing ‘riblet’ package inspired by the microscopic structure of shark skin.
Media Contact: Duncan Bell
About Defense Innovation Unit
The Defense Innovation Unit is focused on accelerating the adoption of commercial and dual-use technology to solve operational challenges at speed and scale.
Web: http://www.diu.mil
