Strap yourself in as we traverse the landscape covering Boom Supersonic‘s history, aircraft programs, partnerships, technology innovations and future vision to fundamentally transform commercial air travel speeds through the power of supersonic flight.
Brief Background Before Our Boom Supersonic Deep Dive
Imagine stepping onto an aircraft in San Francisco and arriving in Tokyo just six hours later instead of eleven. Or boarding a plane after work in New York City and touching down in London in time for an early morning meeting. This is the future Boom Supersonic aims to unlock by making supersonic flight mainstream.
Boom‘s flagship aircraft is Overture, planned to carry 65-88 passengers at speeds over Mach 1.7 – that‘s over 1300 mph or more than double today‘s airliners. This is achieved through advanced engines, aerodynamic designs and smart use of materials like lightweight carbon composites. The company has contracts from United Airlines, American Airlines and Japan Airlines with plans to roll out Overture in 2025, begin test flights in 2026 and carry passengers by 2029.
That‘s the 30,000 ft overview, now let‘s dive deeper across Boom‘s history, technology, partnerships and future outlook. I‘ll highlight details in friendly call-out boxes when we cover something interesting.
History – Turning the Supersonic Dream Into Reality
Boom Supersonic was founded in 2014 by aviation enthusiast Blake Scholl who wondered why today‘s state-of-the-art planes fly no faster than they did in the 1960s. He assembled a team of industry veterans pursing a dream of faster air travel for business and connecting more people globally.
Key Milestones on Boom‘s Flight Plan
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Founded in Denver basement by Blake Scholl |
| 2016 | New Headquarters + Production Facility in Denver |
| 2017 | $33M Series A Funding, Japan Airlines invests $10M |
| 2018 | XB-1 Demonstrator construction begins |
| 2019 | $100M Series B Funding from venture groups |
| 2020 | Rolls-Royce engines announced, XB-1 rollout |
| 2021 | $130M Series C Funding, United Airlines orders 15 Overtures |
| 2022 | US Air Force partnership, American Airlines orders 20 Overtures |
| 2023 | North Carolina factory construction starts |
Two aircraft programs, XB-1 and Overture, underpin testing and development enroute to that end goal of mainstream supersonic passenger travel by 2029.
Boom‘s Aircraft Taking Flight
Boom has two central aircraft programs driving progress:
XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator
- This scaled testing aircraft reached key milestones like ground engine tests helping de-risk systems for Overture.
- It was rolled out in October 2020 after two years of construction.
- The demonstrator plane commenced taxi tests in 2021 and is projected to begin test flights in 2023.
- XB-1 is being flown by world-class test pilots leveraging millions of simulation test hours.
- Program aimed to validate designs, software modeling, flight controls and other dynamics at supersonic speeds.
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Length | 72 ft |
| Wingspan | 22 ft |
| Cruise Speed | Mach 1.3 |
| Engines | 3 GE J85-15s |
| Construction | Composite carbon fiber |
Once XB-1 begins gathering supersonic flight data, it will directly feed into Overture‘s development.
Overture – Boom‘s Flagship Supersonic Airliner
- Targeting 4 passengers at Mach 1.7 (2100 km/hr) cruising speed
- Projected to fly routes like San Francisco to Tokyo or Miami to London nonstop
- Emphasizes efficiency, smoothing the ride and sustainability through innovations in design shaped by computer simulations and wind tunnel testing
- Program calls for roll out in 2025, passenger flights potentially beginning in 2029
I‘ll cover more details on Overture‘s development program momentarily when we overview Boom‘s partnerships and contracts. First some fun side-by-side comparisons.
| Specifications | Concorde | Overture |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise Speed | Mach 2.0 | Mach 1.7 |
| Engines | 4 Olympus MK610 | 4 Custom Symphony* 35K lbf |
| Length | 202 ft | 170 ft |
| Wingspan | 84 ft | 65 ft |
| Date Ended | 2003 | In Development |
| Carbon Emissions Goal | None | Net Zero** |
* Overture engines designed specially for Boom by Rolls Royce
** Through sustainable aviation fuels and materials innovations
While inspired by the flown-too-briefly Concorde, Boom‘s Overture represents a new era in efficient, smooth and sustainable supersonic flight.
Okay, let‘s move on to the essential partnerships and customer commitments fueling development.
Major Contracts and Collaborations Driving Progress
| Partner | Deal Summary | Role & Impact |
|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | $3 billion order for 15 + 35 option Overtures | Design input, experience, passenger requirements |
| American Airlines | $6.5 billion order for 20 + 40 option Overtures | Operations feedback, sustainability needs |
| Japan Airlines | $10 million investment in 2017 | Knowledge sharing around optimal passenger experience |
| Rolls Royce | Custom engine design and development | Enabling efficient, "tuneable" supersonic propulsion |
| Northrup Grumman | Military/government partnership | Tailoring Overture capabilities for global missions |
| Air Company | 5 million gallon (20 year) AIRMADE™ SAF agreement | Facilitating net zero test flight operations |
"By working shoulder-to-shoulder with our airline partners…we can ensure Overture meets the needs of both operators and passengers." – Blake Scholl, Boom Founder/CEO
These collaborations provide funding, operational experience and industry expertise to derisk Overture‘s development in line with specifications provided by future operators.
Now let‘s geeky and talk tech innovations!
Technical Foundation Enabling Mainstream Supersonic
Multiple breakthroughs in materials, design, propulsion and manufacturing undersign Boom‘s technical approach.
Smoothing the Ride
By cruising at 60,000 ft, Overture flies above weather and turbulence. Combine this with a balanced swept wing planform and the latest flight control systems and you‘ve got an optimization for stability across transonic and supersonic speeds.
Symphony™ Engines
Overture‘s engines designed by Boom and Rolls Royce balance high power (35,000 lbf) and unprecedented thermodynamic efficiency. Special variable exhaust helps minimize sonic boom footprint. Runs on 100% sustainable aviation fuels.
Materials Matter
Extensive use of carbon fiber composites throughout the airframe reduces weight and increases fuel efficiency. Boom is also adopting additive manufacturing with certain metal alloy parts fabricated using 3D printing processes. This unlocks optimizations impossible through conventional techniques.
"Extensive design analysis plus ground and flight testing provides the safety foundation for Overture‘s journey to passenger service" according to Boom CTO Dr. Josh Krall.
Now let‘s explore that journey to the skies in more detail.
Rigorous Testing Lays the Foundation for Safety
With backgrounds from NASA, Lockheed Martin and leading aerospace firms, Boom‘s engineers are leveraging state-of-the-art analytical methods to evaluate every component before it takes flight.
Simulated Stress Testing validates structural integrity. Hardware-in-the-loop labs replicates real flight systems. And Iron Bird ground test rigs run subsystems like hydraulics through intensive workouts.
Once these rigorous regimens complete, XB-1 and Overture prototypes progress to ground trials, high speed taxi runs and ultimately test flights.
Hundreds of thousands of test points across digital and physical realms set the stage for formal certification by aviation regulators like the FAA and EASA.
Boom is committed to setting new standards in transparency and safety for passenger travel at twice the speed.
Passenger Experience of the Future
While development continues years before passenger service, Boom has revealed some cabin concepts centered around:
👉 Smoother Ride – Higher altitude smooths turbulence
👉 Spaciousness – No middle seats!
👉 Comfort – Full-flat business class seating
👉 Sustainability – Carbon neutral, efficient
👉 Speed – Mach 1.7 = 3-5 hour flights connecting new city pairs
This experience aims, according to Boom, to be attainable at prices comparable to modern business class once operations mature.
The Road Ahead
Boom has set an ambitious vision matched by years of progress. However, hurdles remain both within engineering domains and externail market factors.
Some key challenges include:
- Technological Complexity – Successfully executing propulsion, materials and systems innovations for safe, reliable supersonic flight.
- Certification Unknowns – Navigating regulatory approvals from global civil aviation agencies.
- Capital Intensity – Ensuring adequate funding and shareholder alignment across long developmental timelines.
- Market Size – Proving sufficient passenger demand and profitable operations as costs become clearer.
- Competition – While first-mover here, incumbents and other startups may pursue overlapping capabilities.
"We are steadfast in our mission to build Overture…and proud of the partners we stand with to make economically and environmentally sustainable supersonic travel mainstream."
So in summary, Boom shows strong potential to realize faster flight but still has its work cut out to reach the stratosphere and beyond. We wish them blue skies and smooth sailing!
I‘m glad we had this chance to geek out over the details behind Boom‘s supersonic quest. Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments.
Fly fast,
~ Your Guide
