Boom Supersonic Overture M1.8 SST

[DrRansom]

Story hit Bloomberg yesterday. Former Computer Science guy wants to build a 40 seat Concorde, more at the link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-21/this-aerospace-company-wants-to-bring-supersonic-civilian-travel-back

It is notable that the design shows minimal concern for noise or sonic boom.

 

[hesham]

Nice find DrRansom,

and we can put it here.

 

[sferrin]

It is notable that the design shows minimal concern for noise or sonic boom.

Well the name IS Boom Aerospace. ;D

 

[DrRansom]

It is notable that the design shows minimal concern for noise or sonic boom.

Well the name IS Boom Aerospace. ;D

Touche...

 

[Moose]

If they focus on affordability and over-water routes,it could catch a lot of attention. One to watch for.

 

[Flyaway]

In the mainstream press now.

Supersonic jet startup vows 'affordable' travel – if you have $5,000 to spare

Sir Richard Branson says Virgin will partner with Boom to build and test plane to succeed where Concorde failed – ‘this lets you commute’ across oceans

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/23/boom-supersonic-jet-travel-affordable-business-class

This is the key part from the article.

Scholl concedes that he still needs much more funding to get even the prototype into the air. So far Boom has attracted just $2m of investment from mostly Silicon Valley billionaires, but he said he has more investors lined up when he needs to tap fresh funds.

 

[LowObservable]

Splat!

 

[sferrin]

In the mainstream press now.

Supersonic jet startup vows 'affordable' travel – if you have $5,000 to spare

Sir Richard Branson says Virgin will partner with Boom to build and test plane to succeed where Concorde failed – ‘this lets you commute’ across oceans

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/23/boom-supersonic-jet-travel-affordable-business-class

This is the key part from the article.

Scholl concedes that he still needs much more funding to get even the prototype into the air. So far Boom has attracted just $2m of investment from mostly Silicon Valley billionaires, but he said he has more investors lined up when he needs to tap fresh funds.

$2 million? Well he's about 1/5000th the way there.

 

[Orionblamblam]

$2 million? Well he's about 1/5000th the way there.

Meh. $2 M will barely buy a used turboprop puddlejumper, never mind a sizable subsonic corporate jet... never mind a 40-seat supersonic corporate jet, never mind *developing* such a jet.

So... yeah. Juuuuuuuuuuuuust a little further to go. Maybe a kickstarter?

 

[Flyaway]

$2 million? Well he's about 1/5000th the way there.

Meh. $2 M will barely buy a used turboprop puddlejumper, never mind a sizable subsonic corporate jet... never mind a 40-seat supersonic corporate jet, never mind *developing* such a jet.

So... yeah. Juuuuuuuuuuuuust a little further to go. Maybe a kickstarter?

How many tyres could he buy with that?

 

[royabulgaf]

Every time I read of such projects I always think of the movie "The Producers"

 

[Orionblamblam]

How many tyres could he buy with that?

I think there's only the one. Not sure if it's on the market.

But I bet he could buy a bunch of tires with that...

 

[Flyaway]

How many tyres could he buy with that?

I think there's only the one. Not sure if it's on the market.

But I bet he could buy a bunch of tires with that...

All I can say to that is :

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Hi All -

Not seeing a thread elsewhere for this proposed project. It's hit the news in a number of media outlets though I have not found a link to the company itself.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/23/boom-supersonic-jet-travel-affordable-business-class

A good looking design but a little overboard on the circular windows!

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[flateric]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/richard-bransons-virgin-has-picked-boom-provide-supersonic-jets-this-huge-risk-1551507

 

[Sark]

Company website: http://boom.aero/

Interesting team.

 

[hesham]

Nice find Fadl.

 

[Flyaway]

‘Baby Boom’ Supersonic Demonstrator Unveiled

Boom Technologies expects to start subsonic flight tests of its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator in late 2017. The engineering design was unveiled at the company’s Centennial airport facility in Denver, Colorado, on November 15. Dubbed “Baby Boom,” the delta wing aircraft is a one-third scale demonstrator for a small supersonic airliner which Boom aims to certificate for commercial service by 2023. The XB-1 is 68 ft. long and powered by ...

http://m.aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/baby-boom-supersonic-demonstrator-unveiled

 

[TomS]

Two photos and an excerpt from the Verge article about the "Baby Boom" demonstrator:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/15/13629104/boom-supersonic-jet-prototype-unveil-concorde

Boom Technology, an aviation startup, unveiled today a subscale prototype of a supersonic passenger jet that aims to be the next generation Concorde. The XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator, nicknamed “Baby Boom,” won’t take flight until late 2017, but Boom unveiled the prototype to a group of aviation and aerospace executives at Centennial Airport in Denver.

The XB-1 is a one-third scale version of the full production model that Boom hopes to have ready for passengers by 2020. The prototype only has room for the pilot, while the commercial-ready version will eventually hold up to 44 passengers. The startup claims its vehicles will be able to travel from from New York to London — normally a 7-hour flight — in just 3.5 hours, or LA to Sydney — typically a 15-hour trip — in 6 hours and 45 minutes. Tickets will cost the "affordable" price of $5,000 per seat.

Edit: I think both pics should be working now.

 

[Trident]

Article on flightglobal.com including a photo of the real thing:

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boom-unveils-xb-1-supersonic-demonstrator-431503/

Interesting that the demonstrator has horizontal tails whereas the full-scale plane apparently does not.

 

[TomS]

Article on flightglobal.com including a photo of the real thing:

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boom-unveils-xb-1-supersonic-demonstrator-431503/

Interesting that the demonstrator has horizontal tails whereas the full-scale plane apparently does not.

Thanks. Amazingly tall landing gear. Presumably sourced from somewhere.

 

[red admiral]

Interesting that the demonstrator has horizontal tails whereas the full-scale plane apparently does not.

Demonstrator is presumably a lot lighter than the full size aircraft. Scaling wing loading gives you a tiny wing which doesn't provide much pitch or roll control, hence the need for separate control surfaces. I would have expected a bigger delta wing to give more learning, but maybe the J85s just don't have enough thrust.

My first reaction to seeing this was that its a mockup. How does the nose gear retract? There's a panel mounted on the leg but no void for it to retract into.

Where is the third engine intake?

 

[DrRansom]

In a sense, the demonstrator is the first airplane this company will build... The demonstrator makes so much more sense that way. Boom has to prove it can build a plane first before it goes to a passenger jet.

I wondered if the big landing gear is to support a high-velocity landing due to low lift?

There is a fun military application of the Boom SST. If they build it, then there is now a civilian supersonic aircraft which can be retrofitted for ISR missions.

 

[Orionblamblam]

My first reaction to seeing this was that its a mockup.

Wise, given that it *is* a mockup.

 

[TomS]

Where is the third engine intake?

I missed it in the AvWeek article on first reading:

The XB-1, on the other hand, has only two fighter-style rectangular supersonic inlets which are mounted below the wings alongside the fuselage. These inlets also feed the buried inlet for the tail engine via bifurcated ducts.

 

[Deltafan]

What would be the engine of the full-sized Aircraft ?

If I remember good, some years ago Dassault and Sukhoï cancelled their own business jets (OK, not so big as this full scale boom SST) because a lack of efficient jet-engines at this time.

 

[Machdiamond]

The Denver Post has better information and a good video interview: http://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/14/supersonic-jet-boom-technology-centennial/

For a second they show the XB-1 test aircraft top view drawing - I screen captured that one below. I don't know if that's the final iteration, but flight testing something like this should be... exciting.

I wish them luck but I wonder if they realize what they are getting into.

--Luc

 

[CiTrus90]

Where is the third engine intake?

AvWeek is the only source saying the demonstrator will have three engines. They might have confused it with the full-sized aircraft.

Looking at the picture of the XB-1 the third engine might actually be in between the two underwing engines, with its exhaust coming out just under the tail.

I don't see a third intake so, unless it's flush under the fuselage, I'd say it'd get its air from the intakes for the other two engines.

I don't really know what to think of it but honestly, with NASA efforts to develop QueSST, a project like this one is just DOA in my opinion.

 

[Flyaway]

Article featuring an interview with Richard Branson.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/15/richard-branson-supersonic-flight-virgin-boom

 

[red admiral]

Wise, given that it *is* a mockup.

Journalism at its finest ommitted that from almost every story. Seemed much more like roll-out, which it isn't. From the video its obvious its a mockup.

I really wonder about their claim to have the best people in every discipline. From what's publicly described, a lot of aspects e.g. aero design seem very amateur - though miles ahead of the likes of Spike Aerospace.

 

[Sundog]

Where is the third engine intake?

AvWeek is the only source saying the demonstrator will have three engines. They might have confused it with the full-sized aircraft.

Looking at the picture of the XB-1 the third engine might actually be in between the two underwing engines, with its exhaust coming out just under the tail.

I don't see a third intake so, unless it's flush under the fuselage, I'd say it'd get its air from the intakes for the other two engines.

I don't really know what to think of it but honestly, with NASA efforts to develop QueSST, a project like this one is just DOA in my opinion.

That's exactly what the AvWeek article says; the third engine is in the tail and the two lateral intakes are split to feed the third tail engine.

 

[Reaper]

They build a 1:3 subscale demonstrator / proof of concept, which first flight is scheduled for end of 2017.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3938764/Meet-Baby-Boom-Richard-Branson-backed-ini-concorde-backed-fly-London-New-York-3-5-hours-unveiled.html

I am just wondering what they want to proof with that? The overall configuration in a supersonic flight envelope!? That they are able to build supersonic planes? Because I think they wont adress any issues concerning supersonic boom...

 

[TomS]

They build a 1:3 subscale demonstrator / proof of concept, which first flight is scheduled for end of 2017.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3938764/Meet-Baby-Boom-Richard-Branson-backed-ini-concorde-backed-fly-London-New-York-3-5-hours-unveiled.html
I am just wondering what they want to proof with that? The overall configuration in a supersonic flight envelope!? That they are able to build supersonic planes? Because I think they wont adress any issues concerning supersonic boom...

They aren't trying to reduce boom -- they think they can make this work flying only overwater routes.

The demonstrator is, I think, almost all about validating their design tools. If the sub-scale design's real-world behavior matches their models, that's a big step forward in validating their full-scale design. Not 100%, of course, because scale does matter, but 1/3 scale is pretty big.

 

[flateric]

That's exactly what the AvWeek article says; the third engine is in the tail and the two lateral intakes are split to feed the third tail engine.

 

[sferrin]

Any word on what engine they might be looking at?

 

[flateric]

Graham Warwick ‏@TheWoracle
Boom Technologies XB-1 supersonic demonstrator, 1/3-scale, Mach 2.2 on 3 J85 engines, to fly end 2017
AirwaysLive ‏@airwayslive
The @boomaero XB-1 will have GE engines, though the full-size SST is still in talks between @prattandwhitney @GEAviation and @RollsRoyce

 

[TomS]

They have to find someone willing to design a whole new fan for whatever core they choose. Their design concept is based on medium bypass turbofans, but I don't think anyone has an extant engine in that power bracket.

 

[flateric]

...

 

[marauder2048]

Having a demonstrator also helps keep the funders and potential customers enthused. Given that a lot of the investors come from Silicon Valley, and given also that the startup/outsider nature of the company means that airlines are going to be a tough sell, hardware beats slideware every time (the subtleties of the fidelity of the model to a full-size vehicle notwithstanding).

Or DOD is getting the Valley to fund an LRSA demonstrator; Boom's advisory board is interesting.

 

[DrRansom]

Boom could demonstrate a long-range cruising engine and platform. That will be attractive for different people...