Supersonic flight the next step in GCC aviation leadership
Boom introduced its supersonic passenger airliner as well as the XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator, at a press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Doha recently. The commercial aircraft will connect the GCC to the rest of the world with flights up to 2.6x faster than conventional airliners. For example, a flight from Doha to Sydney which takes 14 hours, will take just 8:25 flying supersonic. In the same fashion, Doha to New York will be 7 hours and 25 minutes versus 13 hours and 55 minutes.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Boom Supersonic is using state-of-the-art aerospace technologies to deliver a revolutionary speed-up in travel. Compared to Concorde, designed in the 1960s, Boom will be 80% less expensive to operate—leading to affordable tickets for passengers and profit opportunities for airlines. Key technologies for supersonic include carbon fiber composites, advanced aerodynamics, and modern turbofan jet engines. These technologies combine to enable an airplane faster than Concorde, yet quiet, efficient, and comfortable for passengers.
Blake Scholl, Boom Founder and CEO said:
We are delighted to bring in innovative transportation technologies and introduce Boom to Qatar where tourism is burgeoning. Supersonic will make the corners of the globe more accessible to travellers and give them more of the luxury they value most: time.’
The Boom airliner seats up to 55 passengers in comfort and privacy. Cruising at 60,000 feet, passengers experience less turbulence. Looking through the largest windows in commercial aviation, the sky is a deeper blue and one can see Earth’s curvature.
The Boom’s XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator, a ⅓ scale prototype aircraft, is under construction now and will fly in 2018. Passenger flights will begin in the early 2020s. The XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator will fly with hardware from General Electric (engines), Honeywell (avionics), Tencate (carbon fiber), with composite structures fabricated by Blue Force. Final assembly and vehicle integration are taking place in Boom’s facility at Centennial Airport near Denver, Colorado.
Design Specifications: XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator
- Crew: Two (pilot + optional flight test engineer or passenger)
- Length: 68 feet, Wingspan: 17 feet
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: 13,500 lb
- Powerplant: 3X General Electric J85-21
- Proprietary variable-geometry intake and exhaust
- Aerodynamics: Chine, refined delta wing
- Cruise: Mach 2.2 (1,451 mph, 2,335 km/h)
- Leading-edge temperature: 307°F (345°F on ISA+20 days
- Range: > 900 nmi
Design Specifications: Boom Passenger Airliner
- Pilots: Two
- Length: 170 feet, Wingspan: 60 feet
- Passengers: 55 standard
- Flight attendants: Up to 4
- Lavatories: 2
- Powerplant: 3X medium bypass turbofan
- Proprietary variable geometry intake and exhaust
- Aerodynamics: Chine, refined delta wing with swept trailing edge
- Long Range Cruise: Mach 2.2 (1,451 mph, 2,335 km/h)
- Leading-edge temperature: 307°F (345°F on ISA+20 day)
- Maximum Design Route: 9,000 nm (4,500 nm unrefuelled)