Boom unveils the era of supersonic flight

The age of supersonic flights is inching closer to reality with advancements happening quite at the speed of the concept itself. Towards this, Boom Supersonic, the aerospace company building the world’s fastest airliner, unveiled its supersonic demonstrator, XB-1 on October 7. With the delta wing that balances low-speed stability at takeoff and landing with high-speed efficiency, the jet is propelled by three J85-15 engines that are designed by General Electric, and provide XB-1 more than 12,000 pounds of thrust, allowing it to fly at breakthrough supersonic speeds.

“Boom continues to make progress towards our founding mission-making the world dramatically more accessible. XB-1 is an important milestone towards the development of our commercial airliner, Overture, making sustainable supersonic flight mainstream and fostering human connection,” said Blake Scholl, Boom founder and CEO during the virtual rollout of the demonstrator prototype. During the rollout, Scholl also explained the importance of the aircraft’s engine intakes, which slow the speed of the airflow to roughly half the speed of sound to accommodate the subsonic GE engines. Boom has worked for the last five years with Rolls-Royce on the planned medium-bypass turbofans for the Overture.

The jet, being referred to as “history’s first independently developed supersonic jet” is slated to fly for the first time in 2021 and will undergo a 100 per cent carbon-neutral flight test programme. After rollout, XB-1 that can fly up to a speed of Mach 2.2, will complete its ongoing, extensive ground test programme before heading to Mojave, California in 2021 for flight test, Boom stated. At the same time, the company will finalise Overture’s propulsion system and conduct wind tunnel tests to validate aircraft design. Boom has reportedly partnered with Flight Research, Inc. (FRI) on the flight test programme. Plans call for incrementally expanding the envelope of the XB-1 to supersonic speeds. Ground and low-speed taxi testing will occur at Centennial Airport in Colorado, while high-speed taxi and flight take place at Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

 

“XB-1 is an important milestone towards the development of our commercial airliner, Overture, making sustainable supersonic flight mainstream and fostering human connection,” said Blake Scholl, Boom Founder and CEO.

 

Boom’s XB-1 with a 71-foot-long fuselage has been optimally shaped for high-speed aerodynamic efficiency and makes use of the carbon-composite airframe that maintains its strength and rigidity, even under the high temperatures and stresses of supersonic flight.

The rollout also highlighted notable features of cockpit ergonomics. “Guidance and feedback from XB-1’s test pilots played a key role in cockpit design, which was the product of hundreds of hours of human factors and usability testing,” stated Boom. XB-1, through its forward vision system, also leverages a high-resolution video camera and cockpit display to give pilots a virtual window through the nose, providing superior runway visibility for landing.

“When XB-1 breaks the sound barrier in flight, Boom will be finalising the design of Overture, whose own rollout is on track for 2025,” the manufacturer stated. Founded in 2014, Boom is the first commercial airplane manufacturer to commit to a carbonneutral flight test programme and to build sustainability into its entire aircraft programme. The company is backed by world-class investors and has 30 aircraft on pre-order.

After rollout, XB-1 will complete its ongoing, extensive ground test programme before heading to Mojave, California in 2021 for flight test, Boom stated. At the same time, the company will finalise Overture’s propulsion system and conduct wind tunnel tests to validate aircraft design.

The manufacturer stated that to design and build XB-1, Boom recruited a team of experts from around the industry, forged relationships with key suppliers, and built a strong safety culture. Boom’s innovations include developing one of the highest-efficiency civil supersonic engine intakes ever tested, demonstrating Boom’s ability to deliver a breakthrough in propulsive efficiency for Overture.

Many renowned aerospace leaders, Boom partners and investors including NASA leaders and astronauts Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr, USMC (Retd), 12th NASA Administrator and Captain Robert “Hoot” Gibson, USN (Retd), Chief Concorde pilot for British Airways, Captain Mike Bannister; Author of Supersonic: The Design and Lifestyle of Concorde, Lawrence Azerrad, US Air Force Brigadier General Ryan Britton, Strategy Director at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, Simon Carlisle, and other Boom investors as well as advisors were a part of the virtual presentation.

Recently Boom was also awarded a contract from US Air Force One for Overture. Boom expects the XB-1 to demonstrate technologies planned for the 55-seat Overture, such as carbon-fiber composite construction, computer-optimised high-efficiency aerodynamics, and supersonic propulsion systems.