The first supersonic flights were performed by military jets in the late 1940s. Chuck Yeager piloted the Bell X-1, which was the first manned craft to break the sound barrier in 1947.
In the commercial travel industry, the Concorde, whose first flight was in 1969 and whose commercial service began in 1976, had the capability of flying at speeds of Mach 2 and was primarily flown for Atlantic seaboard flights. But its operation ceased in 2003 as a result of higher maintenance costs, decreased demand, and other factors. One of the most significant supersonic travel problems is the sonic boom, a tremendous boom that a plane makes by flying faster than the speed of sound. It can disrupt operations on the ground and is a main reason that supersonic flight is usually banned over land.
Today, we see a company that could make supersonic travel a reality once again, as miracles are happening in the Mojave Desert. Boom Supersonic is getting closer to succeeding step by step.
Boom Supersonic is a US aerospace firm dedicated to designing supersonic passenger planes. Boom Supersonic was established in 2014 by Blake Scholl with the aim of reviving supersonic commercial flight, which will cut down travel time significantly from conventional subsonic aircraft. Below is a summary of Boom Supersonic, its main projects, technology, and vision.
Boom Supersonic’s premier project is Overture, a supersonic passenger airliner that will have a Mach 1.7 (around 1,300 mph or 2,100 km/h) cruise speed. It will operate transoceanic flights, enabling passengers to cover routes like New York to London in about 3.5 hours. The aircraft will have a range of around 4,250 nautical miles (7,870 km), enabling it to operate many kinds of long-haul flights.
Boom Supersonic has been successful in designing and prototyping Overture, with a prototype, “Baby Boom,” in development to test and prove technologies necessary for the full-scale plane.
The company has focused on developing relationships with major aerospace manufacturers and suppliers to fulfill its design dreams.
