Boom Supersonic has unveiled a new design for the Overture supersonic jet

(CNN) — It has been 20 years since Concorde last flew.

Although various companies have since attempted to bring supersonic travel back to life, we have yet to see it become a reality.

However, Colorado-based startup Boom Supersonic is taking some major leaps forward in its quest to make supersonic flight a reality again.

The rendering of the plane, which has been in development for several years, was revealed during a press conference this week at the Farnborough Air Show, a UK-based aviation trade event.

The revised design not only features an additional engine, but also a contoured fuselage and dome wings.

Refined design

The improved design is the result of 26 million hours of software simulations, five wind tunnel tests and 51 design iterations, said Kathy Savitt, president and chief business officer of Boom Supersonic.

“We really had to take the time to learn, iterate and walk the walk,” Savitt told CNN Travel from the Boom Chalet at the Farnborough Air Show.

“I think it would be incredibly successful in addition to the simulators and hours of computing to learn from the actual aircraft.

In the year The plane, scheduled to enter production in 2024, will fly at Mach 1.7 over water at a range of 4,250 nautical miles and have a capacity of 65 to 80 passengers, according to the team at Boom.

Meanwhile, Japan Airlines It invested $10 million in Boom in 2017 and has an option to buy up to 20 aircraft.

Additionally, the aviation startup recently announced a partnership with US military technology company Northrop Grumman to develop a military-specific overture.

Net Zero Carbon Aircraft

Concerns about noise, along with environmental impact, played a major role in Concorde’s demise, and Boom is going to great lengths to make sure this supersonic jet is durable and quiet.

“Our vision has always been for the Overture to be the first clean aircraft designed and optimized to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel,” explains Savitt.

“And today, compared to the time of the Concorde, we are able to use carbon composite materials in our nose, wings and fixed tail, which allows us to be more aerodynamic and more efficient. This helps reduce drag. It also consumes fuel, and also makes the aircraft more fuel efficient.”

United has committed to operating its Overture fleet on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

According to Savitt, the introduction of a fourth engine on the updated aircraft design will help to significantly reduce noise, and the Overture is the world’s first to use an automated noise reduction system.

“We focused on how to make our takeoff and landing quieter than any long-haul aircraft taking off from any airport,” she said. “And that’s what we’ve been able to achieve.

“We don’t fly supersonic on land, we fly supersonic over water. So to say ‘boom’, it’s over the sea.”

But we’re still flying at Mach 0.94. On the ground, and for the communities around airports, it was really important for us to be good at dealing with noise.

Supersonic developments

Efforts to increase the speed of passenger aircraft have intensified in recent years.

Earlier this year, aircraft manufacturer Bombardier confirmed that its test vehicle, the Global 7500, broke the sound barrier and reached a speed of more than Mach 1.015 during a demonstration flight last May.

In the year In 2020, aviation startup Erion unveiled plans for a Mach 4+ commercial airliner called the Erion AS3, but the Florida-based company dropped out the following year.

“Aviation hasn’t seen a giant leap in decades,” Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl said before saying the overture “fundamentally changes the way we think about distance.”

Boom now has over 600 different routes planned for Overture worldwide.

Building relationships

“We’re focused on connecting people,” Savitt said.

“In a world where you want to accelerate that human connection, it shouldn’t be done by a few.”

“It’s how the airlines charge,” Savitt estimated, estimating that an Overture flight would initially cost 25% more than business class and 75% less than Concorde, which costs about $12,000 round trip. In the nineties.

In addition to speed, security and durability described as “fundamentals”, the company has put a lot of focus on customer experience.

Passengers will have the option to switch between different digital inflight experiences and customize their windows during their journey.

There will be a variety of flight modes, including a productivity mode for those who want to focus on work, a relaxation mode for passengers who want to catch a nap, and a navigation mode for those who want to keep an eye on their route while on the go. Air.

An air travel revolution?

Savit Boom sat down with thousands of commuters to get a better understanding of their needs and found that demand for sustainable speed is very high.

“They want a new flying experience,” says Savitt. “You don’t want to spend double time on a flight, especially after covid.”

While we still have a long way to go to see the plane enter passenger service, taxi testing has already begun on the XB1, and the Boom team is “working to get her in the air.”

“We’re getting very close now,” Savit added.

So could supersonic travel be the future, or is it just a pipe dream that will inevitably get off the ground?

There’s still no clear answer to that question, but the progress made by BOM, as well as the high-speed success of Bombardier’s Global 7500 flight test vehicle and NASA’s involvement, are certainly exciting and promising developments.

“Ultimately, we want to drive a paradigm shift where supersonic is the way people want to fly,” she says.

“It’s sustainable. It’s fast, it changes the journey, so you can spend more time meeting your destination.

“In 10 to 15 years, we expect it to be the first choice of travel, because it’s a differentiator.”

Top image credit: Boom Supersonic