Boom Supersonic bets on commercial supersonic flights 1:09
(CNN) --
It's been nearly 20 years since Concorde last took to the skies.
While various companies have since started to pick up on supersonic travel plans, they still haven't come to fruition.
However, Colorado-based company Boom Supersonic is making big strides toward its goal of making supersonic travel a reality once again.
NASA develops a quiet and commercial supersonic aircraft
Nearly two years after unveiling the prototype for its supersonic sample aircraft, the XB1, Boom has revealed a new design for its much-anticipated Overture aircraft, which will be capable of flying at twice the current speed of commercial aircraft and is expected to come out soon. on its initial flight in 2029.
The new design of the Overture supersonic aircraft from Boom Supersonic.
Images of the plane's design, which has been in development for several years, were revealed this week at a press conference at the Farnborough Air Show, a UK aviation event.
The updated design not only features an additional engine, but also has a contoured fuselage and gull wings.
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refined design
A rendering of Boom Supersonic's redesigned Overture supersonic aircraft.
Credit: Boom Supersonic
According to Kathy Savitt, president and chief commercial officer of Boom Supersonic, the refined design is the result of some 26 million hours of software simulation, five wind tunnel tests and 51 design iterations.
"We had to take the time to learn, iterate and move forward," Savitt tells CNN Travel from the Boom Chalet at the Farnborough Air Show.
"There's nothing like having a real plane to learn, plus simulators and hours of calculation, which I think has resulted in extraordinary progress, and an extraordinary aircraft."
The plane, scheduled for production in 2024, will fly at Mach 1.7 over water with a range of 4,250 nautical miles and will seat between 65 and 80 passengers, according to the Boom team.
In January, United Airlines placed an order for 15 of these supersonic planes, which could fly from New York to London in just three and a half hours.
For its part, Japan Airlines invested $10 million in Boom in 2017 and has the option to buy up to 20 planes.
Additionally, the aviation startup recently announced a partnership with US military technology company Northrop Grumman to develop a military variant of Overture.
Zero carbon aircraft
According to the Boom team, Overture will fly at Mach 1.7 over water with a range of 4,250 nautical miles.
Credit: Boom Supersonic
Noise concerns, along with its environmental impact, played a big part in the Concorde's demise, and Boom is doing everything it can to ensure this supersonic aircraft is sustainable and quieter.
"Our vision has always been for the Overture to be the first clean aircraft developed and optimized to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel," Savitt explains.
"And today, compared to the time of the Concorde, we can use carbon composite materials throughout the fuselage, in the wings and in the vertical tail, which allows us to be much more aerodynamic and much more efficient. This helps reduce the aerodynamic drag, which consumes fuel, as well as making the plane much more efficient.
Boom's new supersonic planes want to succeed where the Concorde failed
United has already committed to flying its Overture fleet on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
According to Savitt, the introduction of a fourth engine in the updated aircraft design will help reduce noise considerably, while Overture will use the world's first automated noise reduction system.
"We've really focused on how to make our takeoffs and landings as quiet as, if not quieter than, any other long-haul aircraft leaving any airport," he explains.
"And that's what we've achieved."
"We're not going to fly supersonic over land, we're going to fly supersonic over water. So that 'boom,' so to speak, is over high seas.
"But we're still flying at Mach 0.94 over land, and it was really important for us to be good to the community around the airports, really addressing the noise."
supersonic advances
United will be the first US airline to operate the Overture aircraft.
Credit: Boom Supersonic
Efforts to increase the speed of passenger aircraft have gained momentum in recent years.
NASA partnered with aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin to develop the X-59, a "quiet" experimental supersonic aircraft, to collect data that will be shared with U.S. and international regulators to help determine new standards based on the sound for supersonic flights over land.
Earlier this year, aircraft manufacturer Bombardier confirmed that its test vehicle, the Global 7500, had broken the sound barrier during a demonstration flight last May, reaching speeds in excess of Mach 1,015.
In 2020, aviation startup Aerion revealed plans for a Mach 4-plus commercial jet, called the Aerion AS3, but the Florida-based company folded the following year.
"Aviation hasn't seen a giant leap in decades," Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl said in a statement this month, before declaring that Overture "will fundamentally change the way we think about distance."
Boom now has over 600 different routes around the world planned for Overture.
Generate connections
"We're really focused on connecting people," says Savitt.
"Ultimately, we want the Overture to be not only the fastest aircraft, but also the most sustainable and most accessible aircraft for anyone to fly supersonic."
"In a world where you want to accelerate that human connection, it shouldn't be that only a few can do it."
Although Scholl has previously said that Boom's long-term goal is to be able to get passengers anywhere in the world in four hours for $100, it's certain that we won't see seats for sale at that price for a long time.
Boom Supersonic wants to fly anywhere in the world in less than four hours, for $100
Savitt stresses that "it's up to the airlines what price they put on it," but estimates that an Overture flight will initially cost 25% more than Business Class and 75% less than Concorde, which charged about $12,000 for a trip. back and forth in the nineties.
In addition to speed, security, and sustainability, described as its "core principles," the company has placed a lot of emphasis on the customer experience.
Passengers will have the option to switch between various digital experiences on board and personalize their windows during the journey.
Various flight modes will be available, including a productivity mode for those who want to focus on work, a relaxation mode for passengers who want to get some sleep, and an exploration mode for those who want to pay close attention to their route while on the go. in the air.
Will it revolutionize air transport?
Rendering of an Overture supersonic aircraft in United Airlines colors.
Credit: Boom Supersonic
Savitt says that Boom has sat down with thousands of potential passengers to better understand their needs and found that the desire for sustainable speed is considerably high.
"They want a new flight experience," says Savitt.
"They don't want to spend twice as much time on a flight, especially after the arrival of covid."
Although we are still a long way from seeing the aircraft begin passenger services, roll-out testing has already begun on the XB1, and the Boom team is "working to get it in the air."
"We're already very close," adds Savitt.
So could the supersonic really be the future of travel, or is it just a pipe dream that will never get off the ground?
There is no clear answer to that question yet, but the advances made by Boom, as well as the high-speed achievements of the Bombardier Global 7500 flight test vehicle and the involvement of NASA, are certainly exciting and hopeful developments.
Savitt believes the Overture has the potential to revolutionize air travel in the same way as Boeing's 747 jumbo jet, which made its commercial debut in 1970 and became known as the "Queen of the Skies."
"Ultimately, we'd love to push for a paradigm shift, where supersonic really becomes the way people want to fly," he says.
"It's sustainable. It's fast. It changes the journey, in the sense that you can spend more time connecting at your destination.
In 10 or 15 years, we hope it will be the first option to travel, because it makes a difference."
supersonic aviation
