Summary of this article:
· Who is Boom?
· Can a supersonic aircraft be achieved?
· Supersonic airliners are unstoppable
· Supersonic and consistently carbon neutral
Who is Boom?
Boom is an aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Denver, USA, that develops and manufactures the world's fastest and most sustainable supersonic airliner. Guided by the philosophy of "faster, more stable and greener", Boom CEO Blake Shore and his development team are committed to achieving supersonic passenger flights by 2029. Its supersonic airliner Overture will accommodate 65 to 88 people and fly mainly on more than five hundred transoceanic routes at a speed of about Mach 2.2 degrees, more than twice the speed of current commercial aircraft.
Founded in 2014, Boom has been favored by big-name investors such as Y Combinator, RRE Ventures, Palm Drive Ventures, 8VC and Japan Airlines since 2016, and has successfully completed several rounds of financing. The last Series C round of financing was successfully completed in 2020, and before the round of financing, Boom was valued at more than $1 billion, becoming a hot star unicorn in the global aviation industry.
Can a supersonic aircraft be achieved?
Since the retirement of concorde in 2003, there have been no more supersonic airliners on the market in the past two decades. Due to the high ticket price and high maintenance and operating costs, "Concord" has never been able to occupy the mainstream of the market and has no choice but to withdraw. However, with the advancement of technology and the market demand for fast travel, the supersonic aircraft industry has been in a "dormant period", preparing for a breakthrough to achieve the popularization of supersonic aircraft.
To overcome difficult technical issues such as design, materials, sonic booms, and software engineering, Boom has assembled a team of engineers with strong backgrounds from Gulfstream Aerospace, Boeing, Amazon, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, and the U.S. Department of Defense. In addition, Boom has established deep partnerships with three industry leaders, Japan Airlines, Rolls-Royce and Collins Aerospace, to achieve technological development and breakthroughs.
XB-1
The XB-1 is known as the first self-developed supersonic jet in history, developed and manufactured by Boom, with a length of only 1/3 of a normal supersonic aircraft, which belongs to the demonstration aircraft class.
Powered by three 4,300 lbf (19 kN) dry General Electric J85-15s, the XB-1 can reach mach 2.2 and fly up to 1,900 km/h. The XB-1 has used the X-Plane 11 to build simulators to test flight models, and is expected to fly for the first time in 2022.
Boom officials said: By mastering the key technologies of safe, efficient and high-speed flight, the XB-1 paves the way for mainstream supersonic flight.
Overture
Known as the fastest and most sustainable supersonic airliner, the Overture was developed and built by Boom to provide 2 times the speed of flight, shorten flight times, and make distance no longer a limit.
Designed for a length of 205 feet, the Overture will handle capacities of 65 to 88 passengers, powered by three dry 15,000–20,000 lbf (67–89 kN) turbofans, speeds of up to Mach 1.7, flight distances of up to 4,888 miles, cruising altitudes of nearly 60,000 feet, and zero carbon emissions.
Boom CEO Blake Scholl said: "Overture passenger flights are expected to be available in 2030".
Supersonic airliners are unstoppable
As supersonic aircraft moved from concept to reality, airlines shifted from a wait-and-see attitude to action, competing to "get a head start" on the tracks that offer supersonic airliners.
United has announced that it will order 15 Overture airliners, and once Overture meets United's requirements for safety, sustainability and operations, it will have the option to purchase an additional 35 Overture aircraft. In addition, Japan Airlines has also booked 15 Overture airliners.
In addition to commercial airlines, the U.S. Air Force and Boom are working together to develop a customized version of the Overture aircraft for government administrative transportation, showing that the use of supersonic aircraft is not limited to commercial transportation.
Supersonic and consistently carbon neutral
Achieving the goal of carbon neutrality will inevitably increase operating costs, and how to control costs is also a problem that Boom is trying to solve. In order to provide solutions for sustainable development, define and build the future of sustainable travel, Boom recently announced the hosting of the Sustainable Travel Forum. Kathy Savitt, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Boom, said: "Through the Sustainable Tourism Forum, we can harness the collective power of our founding members to set a precedent for a more sustainable tourism future. ”
In the context of sustainable development and environmental protection, Boom adheres to the goal of zero carbon emissions in terms of fuel, insisting that all fuels use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to achieve carbon neutrality (net zero emissions).
When a supersonic airliner flies from Shanghai to Los Angeles in 6 hours, will you still choose a regular airliner?
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