Boom Supersonic: Bringing Back Faster-Than-Sound Air Travel
The Return of Supersonic Flights
Aerospace startup Boom Supersonic is on a mission to revive supersonic commercial air travel by the end of this decade. Their ambitious project, the Overture supersonic airliner, aims to revolutionise the way we travel by drastically reducing flight times. To pave the way for this groundbreaking airliner, Boom has developed a 1/3 scale prototype known as XB-1, which has already completed two successful test flights at their facility in California’s Mojave Desert. The company plans to achieve its first supersonic flight with XB-1 by the end of the year.
Overture: A New Era in Air Travel
The Overture, still in development, promises to bring back supersonic flights in a more mainstream and accessible manner than the iconic Concorde. According to Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl, Overture will carry around 65 passengers at unprecedented speeds. For instance, the aircraft will be able to fly from New York to London in just 3.5 hours, Newark to Frankfurt in four hours, and San Francisco to Tokyo in six hours. Scholl highlighted the significant progress and excitement surrounding the return of supersonic travel: “It’s coming back in a far more mainstream way than we ever had with Concorde.”
Unlike the Concorde, which last flew in the 1970s under British Airways and Air France, Overture aims to offer a more affordable and luxurious experience. Scholl emphasised that Overture will offer an all-business-class experience with fares expected to be 75 percent lower than Concorde’s. He added, “This is a really nice, comfortable seat on a flight that would let you leave New York in the morning, make an afternoon meeting in London and be home that same day to tuck your kids into bed.”
Advancing Pilot Training and Aircraft Design
Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg has been instrumental in working alongside Boom Supersonic’s engineers, fine-tuning the aircraft’s design and honing his skills for the upcoming supersonic flights. Geppetto has been training on a T-38 supersonic jet to prepare for piloting the XB-1. His goal is to ensure that the transition from subsonic to supersonic flight is smooth for regular commercial pilots who will eventually fly Overture.
“My goal is to make that transition from a subsonic airplane to a supersonic airplane as seamless as possible for those pilots,” said Geppetto. He further explained that while flying supersonic may feel similar to subsonic, it requires pilots to think further ahead due to the increased speeds.
Reducing Noise and Environmental Impact
Boom Supersonic is also addressing the environmental concerns often associated with supersonic flight. The Overture will feature the world’s first automated noise reduction system and will fly without afterburners, which typically cause significant noise pollution. This design aims to reduce noise for both passengers and the surrounding airport communities, making Overture a more environmentally friendly option in the realm of supersonic travel.
