At the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K., Boom unveiled Overture’s flight deck, built around technology from partner Honeywell, and predicted it will have a full-scale engine core operational by 2025. The company also announced Tuesday it secured a Symphony assembly and testing facility through an expansion of its existing partnership with StandardAero.

Boom aims to fly Overture in 2026 ahead of a planned 2029 commercial rollout with airlines worldwide. A supersonic demonstrator aircraft, the XB-1, completed its maiden voyage in March.

Overture’s state-of-the-art flight deck runs on Honeywell’s Anthem avionics suite, which is also the system of choice for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers Lilium and Vertical Aerospace.

According to Boom, it will be the first airliner to feature force-feedback sidesticks, which give pilots a physical response to the aircraft’s movement as well as inputs made by the copilot or autopilot.

Like something out of a science fiction film, Overture pilots will don augmented reality goggles during takeoff and landing. The headset, built by Universal Avionics, uses multiple cameras and sensors to fill any gaps in the pilot’s vision. Boom says this is intended to eliminate the droop nose configuration seen on aircraft such as Concorde—the only successful supersonic airliner in history. The views seen through the goggles will also appear on the flight display, and an autolanding system will assist pilots on the way down.

Breakers and buttons are replaced by high-definition, 17-inch touchscreen displays, while some physical controls such as stick, throttle, and landing gear remain. However, Boom says all aircraft functions can be accessed through software, which will receive routine over-the-air upgrades.

Already, the new flight deck has been tested by real-world airline, business, and military pilots, including Mike Bannister, the former chief Concorde pilot for British Airways. In a recent evaluation, commercial airline pilots cruised over the Atlantic Ocean at supersonic speed before flying into London Heathrow Airport (EGLL).

“After experiencing Overture’s flight deck, which is incredibly well designed and delightful to fly, my excitement and enthusiasm for this aircraft has only intensified,” said Bannister, who now works as an aviation consultant.

Separately, Boom gave several updates on the progress of its Symphony engine program, most notably that it expects to have a full-scale engine core operational within 18 months despite unveiling the program less than two years ago.

The company will collect data on the core via testing, which will inform the development of other components such as the compressor and turbine section. Those parts will come from newly announced partner ATI Inc.

Fuel nozzles and other 3D-printed parts have already been produced, and Boom has begun testing certain hardware components. It plans to conduct more than 30 engine hardware rig tests with partner Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT), which helped design the technology.

“We are on schedule as we pursue critical component rigs for compressors, combustors, and bearings and are developing a ‘Sprint Core’ engine demonstrator that will provide valuable confirmation of engine component performance prior to finalizing the engine design,” said Stacey Rock, president of turbine technologies for FTT owner Kratos.

Symphony engines will be built and tested at a StandardAero facility in San Antonio, which Boom projects will one day include 100,000 feet of manufacturing space. The company plans for its partner to produce as many as 330 engines per year.

“We are excited to expand our role to include the assembly and testing of Symphony engines, further supporting the development of next-generation flight with Boom,” said Russell Ford, CEO and chairman of StandardAero.

Next up for Boom will be the second test flight of the XB-1, a smaller, less powerful version of Overture.

The company’s flagship model is intended to carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7—just over 1,300 mph, twice the speed of subsonic airliners—while cruising at 60,000 feet.

Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom, previously told The New York Times that the company’s goal is to fly passengers anywhere in the world within four hours for just $100. Concorde, for comparison, flew at Mach 2.0 and cost passengers thousands of dollars per trip. 

Unlike Concorde, though, Overture can run on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. The aircraft will only fly at supersonic speeds over water, since the FAA has banned those flights over land.

So far, Boom has racked up more than 130 orders and preorders for Overture, including from United, American, and Japan Airlines.

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The approval will allow the Colorado startup to fly its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft faster than Mach 1 up to 20 times over the next year in the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor in Mojave, California.

The plane flew for the first time March 22 and is expected to validate the technology Boom will use to build Overture, the supersonic airliner Boom hopes will restart civilian supersonic air travel.

* READ MORE: Boom Supersonic Announces First Flight of XB-1 Jet Demonstrator

“Following XB-1’s successful first flight, I’m looking forward to its historic first supersonic flight,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “We thank the [FAA] for supporting innovation and enabling XB-1 to continue its important role of informing the future of supersonic travel.”

The company says it will warm up for breaking the sound barrier with 10 to 20 flights, each faster than the previous one. After the first boom, they’ll go up in speed in 0.1 Mach increments to 1.3.

XB-1 flew for the first time on March 22nd. Now, and in preparation for supersonic flight later this year, the FAA has granted XB-1 a first-of-its-kind Special Flight Authorization (SFA) to Exceed Mach 1, which will take place in airspace within the R-2508 Complex. Learn more… pic.twitter.com/H17He7jcsz

— Boom Supersonic (@boomaero) April 16, 2024

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 jet demonstrator did not reach supersonic speeds during the test flight. But the inaugural flight of the aircraft—a precursor to Boom’s supersonic, sustainable aviation fuel-powered Overture—marks a key milestone nonetheless.

“When I last flew Concorde in 2003, I knew that this day would come,” said Captain Mike Bannister, former chief Concorde pilot for British Airways. “The first flight of the XB-1 supersonic demonstrator is a significant achievement toward making sustainable supersonic flight a reality.”

The XB-1, which Boom says is the world’s first independently developed civil supersonic jet, combines carbon fiber composites, advanced avionics, digitally optimized aerodynamics, and an advanced supersonic propulsion system. These technologies will also be present on Overture, which is being developed to carry 64-80 at twice the speed of subsonic airliners.

The demonstrator is 62.6 feet long with a 21-foot wingspan. Its three GE J85-15 engines produce a combined max thrust of 12,300 pounds of force. Boom chief test pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker took it off the runway at Mojave Air & Space Port, flying in the same airspace that has hosted many historic first flights.

“I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding Boom in 2014, and it marks the most significant milestone yet on our path to bring supersonic travel to passengers worldwide,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic.

A T-38 chase aircraft monitored the XB-1 in the air, verifying factors such as altitude, airspeed, and airworthiness during flight. The company performed an initial assessment of the XB-1’s handling qualities, including airspeed checks with the chase aircraft, and assessed its stability in the landing attitude at a high angle of attack.

According to Boom, the aircraft met all of its test objectives. These included achieving an altitude of 7,120 feet and speeds up to 238 knots (273 mph).

The test flight is meant to validate the XB-1’s key technologies, such as an augmented reality vision system comprising two nose-mounted cameras that feed a high-resolution pilot display.

Another crucial component tested was the engine, which converts kinetic energy to pressure energy with supersonic intakes that slow supersonic air to subsonic speeds. Boom says this will allow conventional jet engines to power Overture from takeoff through supersonic flight.

The next step for the engineering team will be expanding the flight envelope for the XB-1. That will allow it to validate its performance and handling qualities through and beyond Mach 1, speeds Overture is expected to reach.

Boom intends for Overture to fly at Mach 1.7, or just over 1,300 mph. For comparison, Concorde flew at Mach 2. But unlike Concorde, Overture is designed to run on 100 percent SAF.

Leonardo is the engineering lead for the Overture’s fuselage structural components integration and will manufacture the aircraft’s composite structure. Other parts that will come from suppliers include wings designed by Aernnova, nacelles manufactured by Collins Aerospace, and Honeywell’s Anthem flight deck.

Scholl previously told The New York Times that the company’s goal is to fly passengers anywhere in the world within four hours—for only $100. That’s inexpensive compared to most one-way commercial flights, let alone Concorde, which cost passengers thousands of dollars.

However, don’t worry about supersonic booms over your backyard. Overture will only fly supersonic on overwater routes, since the FAA has banned it over the continental U.S.

Boom’s order backlog for Overture includes 130 orders and preorders, including 15 aircraft for American Airlines and 20 apiece for United Airlines and Japan Airlines.

The manufacturer’s $60 million U.S. Air Force contract should help speed development of the aircraft, giving it a potential customer as well. Boom is also partnered with Northrop Grumman to design a special mission variant of Overture for potential U.S. military operations, disaster response, and high-speed surveillance.

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Under the companies’ agreement, the flight deck will be tailored to support the Overture’s mission requirements, including “exceptional situational awareness and enhanced safety,” Boom said. The Honeywell avionics interface gives pilots continuity from simulator-based flight training through to actual flights.

• READ MORE: Boom Supersonic Announces Milestones Including Taxi-Testing Its XB-1 Demonstrator Aircraft

The Anthem is Honeywell’s first cloud-connected flight deck and is designed to be adaptable to many aircraft types from general aviation to commercial aircraft. Honeywell first flight-tested the Anthem in a Pilatus PC-12 in May, marking an important step on the system’s path toward FAA certification.

“Honeywell has an extensive history of aerospace innovation and shares our vision of a faster future through sustainable supersonic flight,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “We’re proud to work with Honeywell to realize one of the most advanced flight decks in the sky, with state-of-the-art technologies that reduce pilot workload and increase safety.”

• READ MORE: Honeywell Acquires HUD Assets from Saab for Use in Anthem, Primus Flight Decks

Honeywell traces its history in aviation to the earliest autopilot systems. The company has been a pioneer in developing numerous cockpit systems, including synthetic vision and heads-up displays. Boom said Honeywell is among several tier one suppliers it has tapped to support its Overture program.

“For decades, Honeywell has supported aircraft programs that build the future for aviation,” said Vipul Gupta, president of electronic solutions at Honeywell Aerospace. “We are looking forward to partnering with Boom to usher in a new generation of supersonic travel.”

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“Our goal is to bring the world closer together through faster flights,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “We’re excited to collaborate with partners and investors around the globe as we work to realize our shared vision.”

• READ MORE: American Airlines Inks Deal for 20 Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft

Boom’s investors include the Neom Investment Fund, an investment arm of Neom, a sustainable urban development planned in northwest Saudi Arabia. As part of their agreement, Boom and the Neom Investment Fund will explore ways to make the Gulf region more accessible through supersonic flight.

Boom also said it remains on track to conduct the first flight of the XB-1 later this year at the Mojave Air & Space Port. The aircraft received an airworthiness certificate from the FAA and recently completed a number of tests, including taxi testing up to 90 knots. Boom said the aircraft will soon make high-speed taxi runs in preparation for its first flight.  

• READ MORE: Boom Supersonic Picks Greensboro, North Carolina, for its ‘Superfactory’

The company said its Symphony propulsion system, designed for sustainable and economical supersonic flight, has undergone a conceptual design review that “paves the way toward Symphony’s first hardware rig tests planned for 2024.” Construction of the factory designed to build the Overture is also proceeding ahead of schedule, Boom said, with completion expected during the second quarter of 2024.

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Boom said it is leading the collaborative effort in developing the new supersonic engine—dubbed Symphony— alongside Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT) for engine design, GE Additive for additive technology design consulting, and StandardAero for maintenance for Symphony.

The announcement comes three months after engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce exited its contract with the commercial airline manufacturer, prompting Boom to look to other engine manufacturers with supersonic propulsion programs. At the time, Rolls-Royce said commercial supersonic flight was no longer a short-term priority for the company.

• READ MORE: Rolls-Royce Will No Longer Power Boom’s Supersonic Airliner

Company officials, however, then decided the solution was to design the aircraft and engine together.

“Developing a supersonic engine specifically for Overture offers by far the best value proposition for our customers,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic,

The announcement comes at a pivotal point of development for Boom following Rolls-Royce’s exit. The first Overture aircraft—expected to fly as fast as Mach 1.7, as high as 60,000 feet msl, and carry between 65 to 88 passengers—was scheduled to roll out in 2025 and begin commercial service with passengers by 2029.

Now, with Symphony, Boom said that design is already underway and that Overture is expected to achieve type certification in 2029. The company will build Overture at the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, with ground testing to begin in 2026 and flight test in 2027.

• READ MORE: How North Carolina Got Boom’s Overture ‘Superfactory’

“Through the Symphony program, we can provide our customers with an economically and environmentally sustainable supersonic airplane—a combination unattainable with the current constraints of derivative engines and industry norms,” Scholl said.

A Boom-Led Partnership

FTT, a Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc business unit, will lead the engine design portion. Boom indicated that it would leverage FTT’s “supersonic engine design expertise,” notably because FTT’s workforce, including engineers involved in the “designing the F-119 and F-135 supersonic engines that power the F-22 and F-35,” Boom said.

“The team at FTT has a decades-long history of developing innovative, high-performance propulsion solutions,” FTT President Stacey Rock said. “We are proud to team with Boom and its Symphony partners and look forward to developing the first bespoke engine for sustainable, economical supersonic flight.”

• READ MORE: American Airlines Inks Deal for 20 Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft

Boom has also tapped GE Additive for additive manufacturing design consulting. Boom said the partnership would enable more streamlined development, reduced weight, and improved fuel efficiency.

“GE Additive will bring industry-leading capabilities to Symphony, providing additive manufacturing design consulting and technology while looking for additional areas to potentially collaborate,” Chris Schuppe, general manager of engineering and technology at GE Additive, said in a statement.

Looking ahead to maintenance, Boom selected StandardAero in order to deliver “reliable and economical operations and provision of maintenance services for the life of the aircraft,” it said.

StandardAero also has experience as a supersonic engine assembler.

“Our current qualifications, capabilities, and experience assembling and servicing supersonic military jet engines make us the intelligent solution for future commercial supersonic engine MRO applications,” said Russell Ford, chairman, and CEO of StandardAero.

• READ MORE: Curious About Boom Supersonic? Here Are Five Things to Know

Here’s What to Know About Symphony

According to Boom, the powerplant will be a medium-bypass turbofan engine, similar to powerplants on current commercial aircraft. However, unlike subsonic turbofans, Boom said its Symphony would feature a Boom-designed axisymmetric supersonic intake, a variable-geometry, low-noise exhaust nozzle, and a passively cooled high-pressure turbine. It won’t have an afterburner. 

Boom said the powerplant would produce 35,000 lbs of thrust on takeoff and would run on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. To keep things quiet and meet Chapter 14 noise level requirements, Symphony will be designed with a single-stage fan. The process will include additive manufacturing to keep its weight and parts count low and reduce assembly costs. Finally, it will need to meet FAA and EASA Part 33 engine certification requirements.

Boom said it expects Symphony to reduce airplane operating costs for airline customers by 10 percent compared to other derivative powerplants.

The post Boom to Lead New Powerplant Design for Supersonic Jet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The deal for the jet—which is currently in development—was cinched by the airline paying a non-refundable undisclosed deposit on an initial 20 aircraft. The agreement also comes with an option for the purchase of an additional 40 Overtures, each with an estimated $200 million price tag.

• READ MORE: Curious About Boom Supersonic? Here Are Five Things to Know

The move is the latest in commercial airlines putting money into the supersonic civilian aircraft endeavor. Last year, United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) signed a provisional agreement to buy 15 Overtures. Japan Airlines has also invested at least $10 million towards Overture’s development.

“Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers,” Derek Kerr, American’s chief financial officer, said in a statement. “We are excited about how Boom will shape the future of travel both for our company and our customers.”

Overture is designed to seat 65 to 80 passengers and fly at speeds up to Mach 1.7 over water with a range of 4,250 nm.

• READ MORE: Northrop Grumman and Boom Partner on Special Mission Supersonic Jet

“We believe Overture can help American deepen its competitive advantage on network, loyalty, and overall airline preference through the paradigm-changing benefits of cutting travel times in half,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom.

Last month, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) announced it was teaming up with Boom for a military variant of the Overture.

The military variant, Boom said, would be a supersonic aircraft tailored for quick-reaction capabilities. It would also carry up to 80 passengers for missions that require rapid response, such as delivering medical supplies, or providing emergency medical evacuations. 

The first flight of a sub-scale test article is expected to take place later this year. The first Overture aircraft is expected to roll out in 2025, and begin commercial service with passengers by 2029, Boom said.

FLYING’s Thom Patterson contributed to this report.

The post American Airlines Inks Deal for 20 Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If it feels like you’ve been hearing about Overture for a while, you’re right. Boom has been developing Overture since 2016 and the company says it isn’t expected to enter service until at least 2029. 

On Tuesday at the U.K.’s Farnborough International Airshow, Boom announced it has joined forces with the iconic company that led development of the James Webb Space Telescope, the U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, and NASA’s Apollo LEM lunar lander. 

Keep in mind that United Airlines [NASDAQ: UAL] signed a provisional agreement last year to buy 15 Overtures and—while a military variant would broaden Overture’s mission—it also would significantly increase its potential customer base. 

Overture is designed to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.7 over water with a range of 4,250 nm. In addition to the military variant, Overture unveiled a refreshed design for its airliner Tuesday, which Boom said, is the “culmination of 26 million core-hours of simulated software designs, five wind tunnel tests, and the careful evaluation of 51 full design iterations.”

The aircraft will now be powered by four wing-mounted engines instead of two wing-mounted engines and a rear engine. It will also include a contoured fuselage and gull wings. Response to the redesign initially seemed to raise more questions than it answered. The revelation of Northrop Grumman’s involvement has helped to fill a few gaps in the program’s trajectory.

The Use Case 

The military variant, Boom said, would be a supersonic aircraft tailored for quick-reaction capabilities. It would carry up to 80 passengers for missions that require rapid response, such as delivering medical supplies, or providing emergency medical evacuations. The aircraft, Northrop Grumman said in a news release, could “surveil vast areas faster than conventional aircraft.”

“Time is a strategic advantage in high-consequence scenarios, from military operations to disaster response,” said Blake Scholl, Boom founder and CEO in a news release Tuesday. “This collaboration between Boom and Northrop Grumman unlocks Overture’s unmatched high-speed mission capability for the United States and its allies.”

Tom Jones, president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, said in a released statement that by teaming up, the two companies “can ensure our military customers have variants of Overture for missions where advanced system capabilities and speed are critical.”  

Boom also announced that Collins Aerospace, Eaton, and Safran Landing Systems will supply key systems for Overture, including landing gear, fuel, and avionics.

Where Can You Fly Supersonic? 

During the 19 years since the last flight of Concorde in 2003, several projects have been announced aimed at returning civil supersonic travel to the airways.

Lockheed Martin and NASA are developing a faster-than-sound research aircraft with a quieter sonic boom. Spike Aerospace—based in Boston—is working on a supersonic business jet called the S-512. California-based Exosonic is designing an uncrewed supersonic aircraft that it hopes will lead to a quiet supersonic passenger airliner. 

Don’t second guess yourself if you thought you saw XB-1 on APA/KAPA’s taxiway lately. Engine runs are underway. https://t.co/6c9zQ7nhdw #Aviation #Supersonic pic.twitter.com/NZFPn4NieD

— Boom Supersonic (@boomaero) March 25, 2022

Boom’s sub-scale test article—XB-1—is expected to make its first flight later this year, the company told FLYING. But flight testing of civil aircraft at supersonic speeds over land has been tricky since the FAA banned supersonic overland flights in the 1970s under Part 91. The ban was a response to broken windows and other damage from sonic booms. 

Generally, the U.S. Air Force requires its supersonic flights take place over open water, above 10,000 feet, and at least 15 miles off shore. Supersonic operations over land must be conducted above 30,000 feet or, when below 30,000 feet, in specially designated areas approved by the Air Force and the FAA.

Aircraft traveling faster than the speed of sound (about 750 mph at sea level) produce shock waves—the sudden onset and release of pressure produces a sonic boom. In fact, the most powerful sonic boom on record measured 144 pounds per square foot, according to the U.S. Air Force. (That  boom was produced by an F-4 flying slightly faster than supersonic, at 100 feet agl.)

In 2021, prompted by “development of a new generation of supersonic aircraft,” the FAA issued a rule “modernizing the procedure for requesting a special flight authorization to operate in excess of Mach 1 over land in the United States.” 

Boom told FLYING it has been “working with the FAA on a [special flight authorization] per [Part] 91.818 to allow supersonic overland flights in specified areas, such as the ‘supersonic corridor’ in the Mojave Desert.”

When flight testing begins for Overture, Boom told FLYING it plans to “evaluate testing in supersonic corridors that are available,” but the company currently expects to perform flight tests along the Eastern seaboard near the Overture “superfactory,” in Greensboro, North Carolina. Boom says it will break ground on the new facility later this year. 

Kansas Supersonic Transportation Corridor

Meanwhile, aviation authorities in Kansas say they’re ready for a surge in civil supersonic aviation. In 2020, the state inked an agreement with the FAA creating an official Supersonic Transportation Corridor (SSTC), covering a 770 nm swath of Kansas prairie just north of the Oklahoma border. Kansas says the route—which is within range of several airports—can accommodate sustained flight at speeds as high as Mach 3.

“Our vision is to build a robust flight test infrastructure, centrally located in the U.S., where [the] FAA and general aviation manufacturers can collaborate to certify emerging aircraft technologies safely in a more expeditious manner,” Bob Brock, Kansas director of aviation, told FLYING. “We’re working with the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University to deploy an array of acoustic sensors in key locations across the state to monitor the effects of aircraft noise.” 

The data, along with live telemetry from test aircraft, is expected to help engineers improve aircraft performance, and study potential sonic impact on the environment.

“Right now the technologies that they’re using, and the altitudes that we’ve actually selected for this activity are above 39,000 feet,” Brock said. “That altitude is high enough to actually mitigate the noise impact in a way that we really believe is going to be very nominal, of any impact on the ground.”

“I don’t think that there could be a more exciting time for growth and transportation, than during a time when growth is desperately needed across the whole country.”

Brock pointed out that Kansas has 138 airports. Aircraft manufacturing and other economic impacts from aviation, he said, total $20.6 billion statewide.

“Within Kansas, we have roughly 19,300 people that are either building, designing, or working with aircraft,” Brock said. “The state has the resources and skilled workers to field 2,000 new jobs in the first year of aircraft manufacturing,” he added. “That is part of the reason we think Kansas is a great place to advance these type of technologies because we’re already good at that.”

Reducing Booms to Thumps

In Palmdale, California, NASA’s X-59 program, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, aims to build a supersonic demonstrator that reduces sonic booms to a gentle thump. The jet’s long nose and other features are designed to reduce noise by shaping the shock wave. After its first flight, which is expected later this year, NASA plans to fly X-59 over selected U.S. cities to collect data on impact from the sonic thumps. That data will be shared with the FAA and the International Civil Aviation Organization. In the future, the data might be useful in the establishment of rules for supersonic civilian operations over land. 

Selena Shilad, executive director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America—a non-profit, non-partisan coalition leading business and aviation groups—says she’s hopeful that noise mitigation can make limited civil supersonic flights over land acceptable on a wide scale. 

“That’s where public awareness really comes in as critical—working with companies and local elected officials to highlight that there are these technological advances that will really be beneficial to the community,” Shilad told FLYING. “We can achieve both. You can achieve noise mitigation and support industry growth at the same time. It’s a win-win situation.”

The post Northrop Grumman and Boom Partner on Special Mission Supersonic Jet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The company says it will be where Boom manufactures “the world’s fastest and most sustainable supersonic airliner.”

Builders are set to break ground in 2022 and begin production in 2024.

• READ MORE: Five Things to Know about Boom Supersonic

The company says the site, named “The Overture Superfactory,” will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, final assembly line, test facility, and customer delivery center for the Overture supersonic airliner. 

The plant will bring approximately 2,400 new local jobs to the area by 2032.

“Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines, with some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, in a statement. 

“Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub.”

Why North Carolina?

The choice of Greensboro was partly due to the availability of a strong aerospace workforce, including military veterans. Boom also looked at surrounding areas and found North Carolina offers access to many technical schools which could funnel highly skilled workers to the factory. 

The Piedmont Triad area is also close to many tier-one aerospace suppliers. This will make access to valued aviation resources seamless. Lastly, the close proximity to the East Coast will allow for supersonic flight testing over the Atlantic. 

“It is both poetic and logical that Boom Supersonic would choose the state that’s first in flight for its first manufacturing plant,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. “Like the success of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, this innovative company will succeed by transforming passenger air travel with speed and sustainable energy.”

While the new manufacturing center will be built in Greensboro, the headquarters for Boom Supersonic will remain in Denver, Colorado.

The Overture ‘Superfactory’

In 2022, contractors are expected to begin construction of the “Superfactory,” which will cover approximately 400,000 square feet on a 65-acre campus.

To ensure dedicated top talent, Boom Supersonic plans to create 200 internships through 2032. The internships will be offered to students who attend publicly funded North Carolina universities, community colleges, or technical schools.

The factory is expected to be completed in 2024. The first Overture aircraft is expected to roll out in 2025 with first flights set for 2026. If all goes as planned, Overture could be accepting commercial passengers by 2029.

About the Aircraft

The Overture Supersonic Airliner is designed to carry 65 to 88 passengers on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. The company says it will fly from New York City to London in three and a half hours. 

Last year, United Airlines (UAL:NASDAQ) became the first U.S. carrier to sign a commercial agreement with Boom, announcing plans to buy 15 of the supersonic airliners, contingent on Boom hitting certain milestones. 

Japan Airlines has also pitched in $10 million for the development of the airliner and with an option to purchase 20.

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The US Department of Transportation and the FAA issued a Final Rule (PDF) on January 6 2021 to facilitate the safe development of civil supersonic aircraft. The rule streamlines and clarifies procedures to obtain FAA approval for supersonic flight testing in the United States. The rule will help ensure that companies developing these aircraft clearly understand the process for gaining FAA approval to conduct flight testing, which is a key step in ultimately bringing their products to market.

“Today’s action is a significant step toward reintroducing civil supersonic flight and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to safe innovation,” said former US Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao, who announced her resignation on January 7, 2021. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson added that “The FAA supports the new development of supersonic aircraft as long as safety parameters are followed. The testing of supersonic aircraft at Mach 1 will only be conducted following consideration of any impact to the environment.”

FAA received a total of 206 comments on the June 28, 2019, NPRM, with 43 comments generally supporting the NPRM, 45 opposed, and 118 considered outside the scope of the rule. The majority of comments from the public, the FAA said, focused on the current routing of aircraft under the NextGen program, or expressed general annoyance regarding aircraft noise, and did not include any comments specific to the proposal updating the application procedure.

In the rule, FAA emphasized that the proposed rule would not have allowed supersonic flights to occur on a regular basis in the United States. “The regulation that generally prohibits civil airplanes from operating at speeds in excess of Mach 1 over land in the United States (14 CFR 91.817) has been in effect since 1973, and no change to that regulation was proposed,” the Rule states. The rule does not authorize the operation of any specific airplane over any particular area; any flights authorized under the rule could only occur upon receiving FAA authorization after completion of the application process and considerable regulatory prerequisites, including analyses of the environmental impacts on the area over which an applicant proposes to operate, as required by law.

The rule will directly affect such companies as Boom Supersonic, which is developing their XB-1 supersonic demonstrator, and Overture, a 65-88 passenger supersonic airliner. Other supersonic aircraft in development that will be subject to the new FAA rule include Aerion Supersonic’s AS2, the S-512 from Spike Aerospace, and Lockheed Martin’s X-59 QueSST.

One part of the NPRM that generated a number of comments involved flight test areas. Several commenters stated that the final rule should provide more flexibility for test area selections to allow more than one operator to use a test area, and to support the development of test areas outside of military operation areas (MOAs). GE Aviation, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA), Supersonic Flight Alliance (SSFA), AeroTEC, and Boom Supersonic suggested that FAA allow multiple manufacturers to use the same flight test area, as opposed to limiting areas to a single flight test campaign. Generally, the commenters stated that doing so would provide safer and more effective testing and cost-saving benefits to industry and FAA. Additionally, Lockheed Martin suggested establishing dedicated supersonic flight test areas. The full text of the 46-page rule describes the application process that will address the many intricacies of the flight test areas when environmental impacts are taken into consideration.

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