Prototype of Supersonic Airliner “Overture” to Take Flight this Year
Boom Supersonic’s new commercial airliner, dubbed “Overture,” will see its prototype take off this year. This comes after the Colorado-based company was able to secure an additional $100 million in funding. Among its new investors is the Emerson Collective, notable for being led by the widow of Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs. The founder of Boom Supersonic, Blake Scholl, said about securing the funds: “This new funding allows us to advance work on Overture, the world’s first economically viable supersonic airliner.”
The specifics of the plane include a 60 ft. wingspan, seating capacity of 55 guests, a range of 5,180 miles and travelling at the speed of Mach 2.2 or 1,688 miles per hour.
While no details about the engine have been revealed, it is known that it will employ variable geometry intake, which was also used on the Concorde in order to reduce noise and promote fuel efficiency. Two engines will be under the wings, while one will be in the tail. All three of them will be non-afterburning, medium-bypass turbofan engines.
Current plans include a scaled prototype of the Overture, which is slated for launch later this year. At present, it is anticipated that the Overture will begin passenger flights as soon as the mid-2020s. Japan Airlines and Virgin Group have ordered roughly 30 airliners between them, making them the Overture’s first customers.
There is a lot of effort being poured into making this an affordable experience that can be provided to many. It’s been shared in a statement that the pricing structure of the Overture will be at par with most business class fares. Scholl himself has said that the primary goal for the airliner is to make supersonic travel accessible and affordable.
Boom Supersonic has also added that the airliner will be capable of supporting alternative fuels, which will prove to greatly minimize its carbon footprint. Its statement reads: “With 55 seats and seat-mile costs similar to subsonic business class, supersonic flight is practical on hundreds of transoceanic routes—making it the new norm for anyone who flies business class.”
The XB-1 prototype model for the Overture will be piloted by Chief Test Pilot Bill ‘Doc’ Shoemaker. It is scheduled to take flight at some unspecified point later in the year.