Supersonic plane intended for commercial use sounds like a fancy. However, for the aviation startup, Boom Technologies, it is a matter of time. Sir Richard Branson, an English business magnate and the founder of Virgin Group, is the supporter.
Baby Boom
The future passenger supersonic plane is called XB-1 and have a nickname Baby Boom. This supersonic demonstrator is a 1/3-scale version of the company’s supersonic airliner. It is expected to flight by the and of 2017. The full-scale airplane, expected to take flight in 2020. The prototype only has room for the pilot, while the commercial-ready version will eventually hold up to 44 passengers and will be 170 feet long with a wingspan of 60 feet .
Features & Design
XB-1 will use three General Electric J85-21 turbojet engines. Each engine has a variable geometry nozzle system. It is designed to carry two crew members and will have a max takeoff weight of 13,500 pounds. This features will make the aircraft capable of flying at speeds of Mach 2.2 (1,451 miles per hour). That means boom will be able to travel from New York to London in just 3.5 hours ( normally flight is 7 hours ), or LA to Sydney in 6 hours and 45 minutes ( typically a 15-hour trip ). The materials used are carbon composites, as they can easily be manufactured in almost any shape.
Why would Boom succeed where the Concorde did not?
Anyone who wants to build a supersonic plane today first has to grapple with the tragic failure of the Concorde jet. A number of factors went into Concorde going out of business, such as economic issues, including the plane’s only crash in 2000 . So, why would Boom succeed where the Concord did not? Chief executive officer and founder of Boom, Blake Scholl, explained to the Verge that new materials, much more efficient engine technology and advances in the aerodynamic design process will make Boom a winner. Concorde’s designers didn’t have the technology for affordable supersonic travel, but now Boom Technologies do.
The company announced that the tickets will cost $5,000 per seat.
