The world’s fastest aircraft has a new streamlined design that prioritises aerodynamics, noise reduction and performance.
Boom Supersonic revealed details of its refined Overture aircraft on Tuesday at the Farnborough Airshow.
The jet’s launch is still a few years away, but its development is progressing at pace. It will be the world’s fastest aircraft, whisking passengers from New York to London in only 3.5 hours.
Boom, which is headquartered in Colorado, revealed the latest designs for the jet after 26 million core-hours of simulated software design, validated by five wind tunnel tests.
Overture will be powered by four wing-mounted engines, allowing it to cruise faster than the speed of sound when flying over water, and at just under Mach 1 when flying above land.
The updated engine design reduces noise, and will also decrease cost for airline operators, the company says.
On take-off, Overture will use the world’s first automated noise reduction system and fly without afterburners, meeting the same regulatory noise levels as the latest subsonic jets. This will mean quieter flying for passengers and less noise in airport communities.
The jet’s dart-shape design has a larger diameter fuselage at the front, and a smaller one at the rear. This is designed to minimise drag and maximise fuel efficiency at supersonic speeds.
Gull-shaped wings will help ensure stability at speed and the jet will be constructed from carbon composites, a material that is light and strong and can be curved to boost aerodynamic efficiency.
Overture will appeal to luxury travellers, offering stylish interiors with comfortable seats, window and aisle access and upscale finishings.
During the press conference on Tuesday, Boom also announced it was building a 70,000 square-foot hardware testing facility in Colorado, dubbed The Iron Bird. This will be used to house the first full-scale Overture testing model and flight deck simulators.
Supersonic passenger flights by 2029
Earlier this year, Boom confirmed it remains on track to begin production in 2024, with plans to roll out the jet in 2025, begin test flights a year later and start flying passengers by 2029.
When it does enter service, travellers flying on Overture will be able to jet between some of the world’s most popular destinations at near lightning speed.
If all goes to plan, the supersonic jet will carry loads of more than 65 passengers from Los Angeles to Sydney in eight hours, and from Japan's Tokyo to Seattle in the USA in four and a half hours.
More than 600 routes are planned for Overture in what the company is calling a “new era of supersonic travel”.
Boom has already received orders for 70 aircrafts, including from United Airlines and Japan Airlines.
Overture has always been envisioned as a net zero carbon jet that flies on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel. Saf is currently expensive and difficult to acquire, but the aviation industry is working to make the fuel more accessible with the International Air Transport Association saying last month that governments must provide incentives to quickly increase production.
At the press conference, Boom Supersonic also announced new and expended partnerships joining forces with Collins Aerospace, Eaton and Safran Landing Systems to supply key systems such as landing gear, avionics and ice protection.
