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Aspiring supersonic airliner manufacturer Boom, fresh off unveiling the completed design of its sub-scale prototype, now has 76 purchase commitments from five airlines for the full-scale version that it aims to have in service by 2024.
“The airlines that are placing reservations are putting real money against them,” said Blake Scholl, Boom founder and CEO. “These aren’t letters of intent.”
In an update during the Paris Air Show, Scholl confirmed that the one-third scale demonstrator unveiled in November, dubbed the XB-1 or “Baby Boom,” has completed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and is on track for a first flight next year. The most recent design changes include the addition of a third engine intake, which analysis shows brings "greater stability and efficiency,” Scholl said.
Scholl confirmed to AIN that Boom is exchanging information with the FAA about certification. So far, there are no show-stoppers. “There are challenges, but no blockers,” Scholl told AIN. "The feedback from regulators is, there are some things that will be special [conditions] on the airplane, but no blockers. We’re deliberately choosing technologies that have a certification roadmap."
Boom also used the Le Bourget backdrop to unveil a second cabin configuration featuring 45 seats, including 10 in first-class. This, Scholl said, would appeal longer-range flights such as transpacific routes, where a lie-flat seat might be desirable. The standard Boom configuration of 55 business-class seats with about 75 inches of pitch are ideal for transatlantic routes that take three to four hours, because those trips don’t need the lie-flat seats found in today’s premium cabins, he said.
The addition of the second cabin configuration suggests that Boom is attracting interest—and possibly undisclosed orders—from operators in the Middle East and Asia, which operate many lucrative, ultra-long-haul, overwater routes. Scholl would not disclose any additional customers, noting only that the Boom “is more than a transatlatic aircraft.” The lone identified customer is Virgin Group.
List price is $200 million. Scholl said that the ability to fly more cycles in less time than current subsonic long-range aircraft means operators will make money selling 45 to 55 tickets on intercontinental routes. The initial target round-trip ticket prices are comparable to today’s business-class seats, or about $5,000 for a trip from London to New York. Scholl believes technology will help lower operating costs even further, making cheaper tickets possible.
Seeking to pick up—and go beyond—where Concorde left off, Boom believes technological advancements in the past 50 years make the company's vision not just possible, but achievable, even with current supersonic over-land restrictions (see sidebar). Composite materials mean the highly complex fuselage shape, featuring a chine and a refined delta wing with swept trailing edge, can be built without bending any metal. Using composites also eliminates several other technical challenges that supersonic flight brings, such as selecting a metal with enough heat resistance to withstand speeds above Mach 2, Concorde’s long-range cruise speed. Boom will be designed for Mach 2.2 cruise and a range of about 4,400 nm.
The broadly one-third scale Baby Boom will be powered by three non-afterburning General Electric J85-21s with variable-geometry intake and exhaust. An engine choice for the full-production version has not been made. The demonstrator will fly with Honeywell avionics, Tencate carbon fiber prepreg, and 3D-printed components from Stratasys.
Boom has $41 million in funding, which Scholl says should be enough to take the company through Baby Boom’s first flight “with some margin.” The 76 orders are enough to launch the aircraft today, he added.
Scholl reiterated that Boom’s focus is on the passenger-transport market, noting that he believes there is plenty of room for a supersonic business jet—several of which are in development.
"We look at those folks as fellow travelers on the road to a faster future,” Scholl said. "Our focus is on something that’s a wider audience.”
As of the middle of last month's Paris Air Show, aspiring supersonic airliner manufacturer Boom held purchase commitments from five airlines for 76 aircraft, slated to enter service by 2024. The company unveiled the completed design of a sub-scale prototype at the Salon. (See also Civil Supersonic, page 42.)
“The airlines that are placing reservations are putting real money against them,” said Blake Scholl, Boom founder and CEO. “These aren’t letters of intent.”
In an update during the show, Scholl confirmed that the one-third-scale demonstrator unveiled in November, dubbed the XB-1 or Baby Boom, has completed preliminary design review (PDR) and is scheduled to fly next year.
Scholl confirmed to AIN that Boom is exchanging information with the FAA about certification. So far, he said, there are no show-stoppers. “There are challenges, but no blockers,” Scholl told AIN. "The feedback from regulators is there are some things that will be special [conditions] on the airplane, but no blockers. We’re deliberately choosing technologies that have a certification roadmap."
Boom also used the Le Bourget backdrop to unveil a second cabin configuration with 45 seats, 10 of them first class. This, Scholl said, appeals to longer-range flights such as transpacific routes, where a lie-flat seat might be desirable. The standard Boom configuration of 55 business-class seats with about 75 inches of pitch, ideal for transatlantic routes that take three to four hours, doesn't need the lie-flat seats found in today’s premium cabins because the flights aren’t long enough, he said.
The addition of the second cabin configuration suggests that Boom is gaining interest—and possibly undisclosed orders—from operators in the Middle East and Asia, which operate many lucrative, ultra-long-haul, overwater routes. Scholl would not disclose any additional customers, noting only that the Boom “is more than a transatlantic aircraft.” The lone identified customer is Virgin Atlantic.
A Boom passenger aircraft carries a list price of $200 million. Scholl said that the ability to fly more cycles in less time than current subsonic long-range aircraft means operators will make money selling 45 to 55 tickets on intercontinental routes. The initial target round-trip ticket prices are comparable to those for today’s business-class seats, or about $5,000 for London-New York. Scholl believes technology will help reduce operating costs even further, making cheaper tickets possible.
Seeking to pick up—and go beyond—where Concorde left off, Boom believes technological advancements in the last 50 years make its vision not just possible but achievable, even with current supersonic overland restrictions. Composite materials mean the highly complex fuselage shape, featuring a chine and a refined delta wing with swept trailing edge, can be built without bending any metal. Using composites also eliminates several other technical challenges that supersonic flight brings, such as selecting a metal with enough heat resistance to withstand speeds above Mach 2, Concorde’s long-range cruise speed. Boom will be designed for Mach 2.2 cruise and a range of about 4,400 nm.
Baby Boom will be powered by three non-afterburning General Electric J85-21 turbojets with variable-geometry intake and exhaust. The company has not yet selected an engine for the airliner. The demonstrator will fly with Honeywell avionics, and the airframe is being made from Tencate carbon-fiber prepreg, with 3D-printed components from Stratasys.
Boom has $41 million in funding, which Scholl says should be enough to take the company through Baby Boom’s first flight “with some margin.” The 76 aircraft on order are sufficient to launch the aircraft, he added.
Scholl reiterated that Boom’s focus is on the passenger-transport market, noting that he believes there is plenty of room for a supersonic business jet—several of which are in development.
"We look at those folks as fellow travelers on the road to a faster future,” Scholl said. "Our focus is on something that’s for a wider audience.” Boom calculates that its aircraft is economically viable on 500 routes, and that assumes current regulations banning supersonic flight—and the sonic booms they produce—over land don’t change. "We’d love to see that reversed,” he said. "I think when people find they can get from San Francisco to Tokyo faster than they can get from San Francisco to D.C., they will think, ‘This needs to change.’”