Prototype Supersonic Airliner to Fly This Year
CENTENNIAL, CO—Boom Supersonic has confirmed plans to flight test the XB-1 prototype of its Overture commercial airliner for the first time this year, after raising $100 million in its latest funding round. Boom plans Overture to enter service in the mid-2020s.
The 170-foot-long Overture will have a wingspan of 60 feet and seat 55 passengers. Some 30 Overture aircraft have been pre-ordered by customers including Virgin Group and Japan Airlines.
Overture will have a cruise speed of Mach 2.2 and a range of 4,500 nautical miles. It will be powered by three non-afterburning, medium-bypass turbofan engines, two under the wings and one in the tail. Boom said that Overture will be as quiet as a subsonic aircraft flying on the same routes.
The engine, the details of which are yet to be released, will feature a variable geometry intake and exhaust, a technology that was used on Concorde to increase fuel efficiency and reduce noise. According to reports, Boom has approached engine suppliers about developing the new engine.
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