Boom Supersonic Overture: all you need to know about the 'new Concorde'

If there was one thing that could be changed when it comes to flights, most travellers would probably say the seemingly endless hours spent in the sky.

So, what if that time could be substantially cut?

Boom Supersonic, the US plane manufacturer, plans to have the answer with its new Overture jet, which is set to transport customers at twice the speed of today's fastest commercial aircraft, and is regarded as "the new Concorde".

Here's all you need to know about the Overture:

By how much will Overture cut travel times?

It proposes to take passengers from New York to London in only 3.5 hours, with its four wing-mounted engines allowing it to cruise faster than the speed of sound when flying over water, and at just under Mach 1 when flying above land.

This would also allow it to do Los Angeles to Sydney in eight hours — a trip that usually takes around 15 hours. Overture is being designed to fly more than 600 routes around the world.

American Airlines orders supersonic jets as high-speed travel makes a comeback

This undated image provided by Boom Supersonic shows Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft. American Airlines says it has agreed to buy up to 20 supersonic jets that are still on the drawing board and years away from flying. American announced the deal Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 with Boom Supersonic. (Boom Supersonic via AP)

What are its specifications?

Boom puts the Overture's range at 4,888 miles, which is somewhat below the likes of the superjumbo Airbus A380, which can fly more than 8,000 miles. Overture is, after all, built for speed.

It is 201 feet long, has a wingspan of 106 feet, will cruise at an altitude of 60,000 feet and is planned to carry between 65 and 80 passengers at a time.

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Boom said the design 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, resulting in an economically and environmentally sustainable supersonic airliner.

“Aviation has not seen a giant leap in decades. Overture is revolutionary in its design, and it will fundamentally change how we think about distance,” said Boom founder and chief executive Blake Scholl.

A larger diameter towards the front of the aircraft and a smaller diameter towards the rear minimises drag and maximises fuel efficiency at supersonic speeds.

Carbon composite materials, which are lighter, stronger, and more thermally stable than traditional metal construction, are incorporated into the majority of the build.

When will it be ready?

Its first full-scale manufacturing facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, was announced in January. It will include the final assembly line, test facility and customer delivery centre.

Boom said it will create more than 1,750 jobs in North Carolina by 2030, expanding to a total of more than 2,400 jobs by 2032.

The Overture Superfactory will begin production in 2024. The first Overture aircraft is expected to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026, and carry its first passengers by 2029.

“With some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support, Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub," said Mr Scholl.

However, Boom does not yet have an engine manufacturer lined up. It is talking with Rolls Royce and others.

“With a supersonic jet, you don't design a plane, you design an engine first,” Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at consultant AeroDynamic Advisory, told Bloomberg. “This is just a collection of freehand drawings until that engine happens.”

(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 18, 2018, Boom Supersonic co-founder, Blake Scholl, poses for a photograph in front of an artists impression of his company's proposed design for an supersonic aircraft, dubbed Baby Boom, at the Farnborough Airshow, southwest of London. United Airlines announced plans on June 3, 2021, to buy 15 planes from airline startup Boom Supersonic in a move that could revive the high-speed form of air travel. Under the commercial agreement, United would purchase Boom's "Overture" aircraft once the planes meet "United's demanding safety, operating and sustainability requirements" with an aim to start passenger travel in 2029, the companies said in a joint press release.
/ AFP / Adrian DENNIS — Boom Supersonic co-founder, Blake Scholl. AFP

Which airlines have placed orders?

American Airlines on Tuesday confirmed an order for 20 Overture aircraft, with an option for an additional 40. American paid a non-refundable deposit on the initial 20 aircraft.

United Airlines last year agreed to a similar deal with Boom, announcing it would purchase 15 Overture jets once safety, sustainability and operating requirements were met. United has the option to purchase an additional 35 supersonic jets.

Virgin, meanwhile, signed an option to buy 10 of the planes back in 2016.

The plane carries a list price of $200 million.

How does it compare to Concorde?

Concorde was the king of the skies when it came to speedy travel from when it was introduced in 1976 until it was retired in 2003, three years after an Air France flight crashed into a hotel, killing everyone on board.

The first supersonic passenger-carrying commercial jet was similar in size to the Overture at 202ft long, while its maximum range was 4,500 miles and it carried up to 100 passengers.

“Concorde was a technological marvel of its time, but economically and environmentally unsustainable,” said Mr Scholl last year.

Concorde's operating cruise speed was Mach 2, about 1,350mph. It flew from London to New York in about three hours.

Concorde on Middle East trials -

It takes a stretch of the imagination to picutre the supersonic airliner Concorde swooping down to land at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Airport. Yet that is exactly what happened on an August day in 1974. Concorde, which was only operated by British Airways and Air France, never flew a scheduled service to the Arabian Gulf. But it did come to the UAE before going into service, in a trip that included Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait and Muscat. The visit was a demonstration tour designed (unsuccessfully) to drum up new customers but also to prove the aircraft’s hot weather capability in the height of a Gulf summer. In those days, Al Bateen was the international airport. British Airways briefly ran a scheduled supersonic service to Bahrain when the aircraft went into service in 1976, but this was quickly superseded by the more profitable North Atlantic route. This photograph was taken by Peter Alvis, who lived and worked in Abu Dhabi from 1973 to 1975. He remembers that: “Our office was in line with the runway and when Concorde took off we thought the office was about to collapse, as the whole place was shaking.”

Courtesy Peter Alvis  *** Local Caption *** rv10ja-time frame2-p10.jpg

Concorde pictured at Al Bateen Airport in July 1974 by Peter Alvis, who lived and worked in Abu Dhabi from 1973 to 1975. He remembers: “Our office was in line with the runway and when Concorde took off we thought the office was about to collapse, as the whole place was shaking.” Courtesy: Peter Alvis