Boom Supersonic first flight

Baby Boom, a development aircraft for the Boom Overture, has made its maiden flight (22 March 22). The March issue of TNU has been updated.

XB-1 met all of its test objectives, including safely and successfully achieving an altitude of 7,120 feet and speeds up to 238 knots (273 mph).

Overture was first announced in December 2014 and has gone through several investment calls with its manufacturing plant now established at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. Boom’s supersonic technology demonstrator, XB-1, recently moved to the Mojave Air & Space Port to continue flight preparations.  

United Airlines announced in June 2021 that it had signed a deal to purchase 15 Boom Overture aircraft, with an option to buy 35 more. American Airlines agreed in August 2022 a similar deal for 20.  

Overture can accommodate up to 80 passengers with a range of 4,250 nautical miles, making Chicago and Miami manageable from London but not Los Angles. It flies at Mach 1.7 rather than Concorde’s Mach 2 but 3.5hrs Heathrow to Kennedy should be possible.  Originally powered by Rolls-Royce, who withdrew, Boom is now developing its own engine, called Symphony, which it says is optimised for 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).  Unlike Concorde it is designed to fly supersonic across the North America land mass.  First flight is planned for 2027.

Concorde first flew 2 March 1969 and made its final flight on 26 November 2003.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON2_9XFjKl4

https://boomsupersonic.com

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READERS' COMMENT

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George Wright, Weybridge

Go to Brooklands and board Concorde. You will see a list of orders. All cancelled.

Phil Davis, Harrow, Middx

I understand the rush to secure slots but as I recall Concorde secured 100 orders before the first flight, which all vanished. Have the US airlines money to burn? Overture has a longer range than Concorde, but carries less and is slower. It does not add up.