Imagine being able to hop on a flight after breakfast in San Francisco and land in Tokyo just in time for a late lunch. That tantalizing vision is what supersonic aviation startup Boom Supersonic wants to turn into a reality with their upcoming Overture airliner.
As a data analyst who has followed the company‘s development closely, I think they have a real shot at making supersonic travel mainstream within this decade. In this in-depth guide, I‘ll give you the insider‘s view on the tech, economics, and timeline behind their plans for lightning-fast transoceanic travel.
Introducing Boom Supersonic
Boom Supersonic was founded in 2014 by Blake Scholl along with aviation and software experts who believed the time was right to revisit supersonic flight. Despite past failures, they saw untapped potential in technologies like advanced carbon fiber, high efficiency engines, and sustainable alternative fuels.
Their mission is to build an aircraft that can fly at speeds over Mach 1.7 – that‘s 1,300 mph or about twice as fast as normal commercial planes. At that pace, you could fly from San Francisco to Tokyo in only 6 hours instead of 11, from Los Angeles to Sydney in 8 hours instead of 15, and so on.
"We‘re designing our aircraft for speed, comfort, and sustainability – so flying faster than ever will feel great." – Boom Supersonic Vision Statement
So far, Boom has attracted major financial backers like Japan Airlines, the U.S. Air Force, and marquee Silicon Valley investors. Their demonstrator jet, the XB-1, completed taxi tests last year. Next comes high-speed trials in 2023 to pave the way for their flagship Overture airliner.
Let‘s look under the hood at what makes economic supersonic travel feasible now when the legendary Concorde ultimately failed.
The Boom Overture Airliner
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cruising Speed | Mach 1.7 (1,300 mph) |
| Wingspan | 60 ft |
| Length | 201 ft |
| Max Passengers | 88 |
| Range | 4,250 nmi |
| Engines | 4 custom non-afterburning turbofans |
| Materials | Composites, titanium |
To understand how Boom intends to overcome the hurdles that hindered past attempts at supersonic flight, we need to dive into some aerospace engineering.
The Overture design leverages careful optimization across aerodynamics, propulsion systems, materials science, and manufacturing innovations. By designing each component to work together seamlessly, Boom hopes to achieve both high speed and fuel efficiency.
Let‘s break down some of the key performance targets:
Aerodynamics: The Overture will cruise at 60,000 ft where air density is lower, reducing drag. Its sleek shape also contributes, including the swept delta wing and gull-wing doors which maximize smooth airflow. Supersonic jets need to account for shock waves that create drag not present on subsonic planes. Boom says their simulations mean the Overture will perform well on that front.
Engines: Jet engines have improved leaps and bounds in power and efficiency over the decades. Boom‘s custom Symphony turbofans apply the latest innovations including geometries facilitating supersonic airflow. They plan on releases more details soon as these novel engines are still under wraps.
Materials: Extensive use of carbon fiber composites will make the Overture lighter per square foot than past aircraft. Around two-thirds of the aircraft structure will leverage composites which provide incredible strength for their weight. Titantium alloys add durability with less heft than traditional steels across leading edges and key hot section components.
Fuel: An all-composite structure paired with efficient engines means less heft to lug through the skies. But supersonic cruise still inherently burns more fuel. Unlike the gas-guzzling Concorde, the Overture will run solely on sustainable biofuels or e-fuels, helping environmental sustainability.
Add this all up and Boom believes they can create an aircraft that flies at double the speed while maintaining comparable costs per seat mile to modern business class offerings. Now that would be a game changer!
The Economics Have to Pencil Out
A key reason the Concorde was mothballed was it was an economic loser – high costs could never be recouped from the small set of people willing to pay premium fares. Boom instead wants to open supersonic travel up to a wider audience.
Here‘s a snapshot of how the economics could work in their favor:
- 88 premium seats spread costs over more passengers than the Concorde
- Higher cruising altitude saves around 20% on fuel costs
- Advanced engines increase efficiency by 15-20%
- Mostly transoceanic routes avoid costly airspace restrictions
- Order book over 300 reflects confidence in the product
Now of course forecasting complex economic models years out involves guesswork. But Boom has assembled data scientists and market experts who have crunched the numbers and say fares could end up aligning with current business class prices.
Given the enormous appetite for business travel across the Pacific, and time being the ultimate luxury, the Overture seems poised to carve out a valuable niche. The demand is there if the product delivers on speed, comfort, and environmental claims.
Development Timeline: Key Milestones
Turning ambitious plans into certified aircraft is no easy task. Here‘s a roadmap of upcoming milestones if things stay on schedule:
2023
- XB-1 high-speed flight tests
- Overture design finalized
- Ground testing of critical components
2024
- Overture production begins in N.C. factory
- 2 more XB-1 prototypes support testing
2025
- Rollout of first Overture airframe
- Cabin configuration testing
2026
- Overture takes first test flight
- XB-1 test program data fully validated
- Japan Airlines confirms order
2027
- Full flight test program underway
- Simulation models demonstrate performance
2028
- FAA certification process concludes
- Operational readiness review
2029
- First passenger flights!
- JAL flies SFO to HND route in 6 hours
Of course, new aircraft programs are "hurry up and wait" endeavors, so delays or surprises are reasonable to expect. But by leveraging proven technologies and simulation tools, Boom hopes to minimize uncontrolled setbacks.
The Passenger Experience
Imagine checking in to SFO at 7 AM, dining on a smooth 2-hour flight at 60K feet while traveling faster than the cruising speed of an SR-71 Blackbird, then arriving in Tokyo in time for a mid-afternoon meal.
Boom wants to provide a best-in-class customer experience aboard the Overture matching today‘s luxury business class standard. Key aspects include:
Seats: Similar legroom and width compared to premier airline suites today. Seat arrangements customized based on airline partner.
Amenities: Standard amenities like Wi-Fi, inflight entertainment, and ample cabin storage space. Lavatories sized more like small airplane bathrooms.
Service: Designed for premium service model with high flight attendant to passenger ratio. More intensive meal services could be limited by short flight times.
Windows: Given the high cruise altitude, the view would showcase the curvature of the earth and darkness of space for a portion of flights. Larger windows provide better outward visibility.
Comfort: Advanced noise insulation creates a quieter cabin than older supersonic jets. The ride feeling is still expected to be smooth given higher flight levels.
Boom still has work to do outfitting the interior. But they aim to provide service on par with the likes of Singapore Airlines Suites or Emirates First Class of today scaled to a wider audience.
Final Thoughts: Supersonic Ambitions
I‘ll wrap up this overview with some personal observations given my expertise as an aerospace analyst:
- Boom‘s progress to date proving out supersonic tech is promising and their ambitions are worthy
- Partners like JAL and American Airlines wouldn‘t stake capital without confidence
- Huge time savings could make supersonic flights ubiquitous for business and affluent travelers
- Execution risk still high given unprecedented scope and regulatory hurdles
- Environmental impact question marks remain compared to subsonic alternatives
- 2029 in-service date seems aggressive but they have surprised before
For any big leap innovation, cynics will question if the vision is too good to be true. But the Concorde proved supersonic passenger travel can be done. Boom is betting that by applying 21st century solutions, they can solve the economic factors that thwarted mainstream adoption in the past.
I for one am rooting for their success and the chance to dash from California to Asia or Europe with only a mealtime spent in transit! Even with just a 50/50 chance to pull this ambitious timeline off, those odds are encouraging enough to start imagining how my own future itineraries could be transformed.
