Boom Technology
Boom Technology, Inc. (trade name Boom Supersonic) is an American company designing a supersonic airliner named the Overture.[1] The company is also flight-testing their one-third-scale demonstrator: the Boom XB-1 "Baby Boom".[2] On January 28, 2025, the company broke the sound barrier for the first time with its new XB-1 aircraft, after taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port.[3][4]
History
The company was founded in Denver in 2014.[5] It participated in a Y Combinator startup incubation program in early 2016, and has been funded by Y Combinator, Sam Altman, Seraph Group, Eight Partners, and others.[6]
In March 2017, $33 million were invested by several venture funds: Continuity Fund, RRE Ventures, Palm Drive Ventures, 8VC and Caffeinated Capital.[7] Boom secured $41 million of total financing by April 2017.[8] In December 2017, Japan Airlines invested $10 million, raising the company capital to $51 million: enough to build the XB-1 “Baby Boom” demonstrator and complete its testing, and to start early design work on the 55-seat airliner.[7] In January 2019, Boom raised a further $100 million, bringing the total to $151 million, then planning the demonstrator first flight for later in 2019.[9][10]
In January 2022, the company announced plans to build a Template:Convert manufacturing facility on a Template:Convert site at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina.[11]
In November 2023, a representative of the NEOM Investment Fund announced their investment in Boom at an undisclosed amount.[12] This follows an announcement by Boom of a "strategic investment" in the company from the fund.[13]
The XB-1 is considered a precursor to Boom's first supersonic commercial airliner.[3] The 64-80 seat aircraft, Overture, will be the first supersonic passenger jet since the British-French Concorde which was retired in 2003.[14][4]
Projects
XB-1 "Baby Boom" demonstrator
The Boom XB-1 "Baby Boom" is a one-third-scale supersonic demonstrator, designed to maintain Mach 2.2, with over Template:Convert of range, and powered by three General Electric J85-15 engines with Template:Convert of thrust.[15] It was rolled out in October 2020.[16] It was expected to be flight tested in 2022,[17] but delays pushed the first flight test to March 22, 2024.[18] During the test flight, the aircraft reached speeds of up to Template:Convert and achieved an altitude of over Template:Convert.[19] In the test flight on 13 December 2024, the aircraft reached speeds of up to Template:Convert and achieved an altitude of over Template:Convert.[20]
In the test flight on 28 January 2025, the aircraft broke the sound barrier, reaching speeds up to Template:Convert and achieved an altitude of over Template:Convert.[21] The aircraft became the first privately-funded aircraft to break the sound barrier, reaching a speed of Mach 1.122.[22] The company said XB-1 achieved supersonic flight without generating an audible sonic boom that reached the ground after refining its sonic boom models and improving algorithms for predicting Mach cutoff conditions.[23][24]
Overture airliner
The Boom Overture is a proposed Template:Cvt, 65- to 88-passenger supersonic transport with a planned Template:Convert of range.[25] With 500 viable routes, Boom suggests there could be a market for 1,000 supersonic airliners with business class fares.[8] It had gathered 76 commitments by December 2017.[7] It decided to use the delta wing configuration of Concorde[26] and make use of composite materials.[7] It is to be powered by three Template:Cvt dry turbofan engines.[7]
In January 2021, Boom announced plans to begin Overture test flights in 2026[27] and Boom CEO Blake Scholl "estimates that flights on Overture will be available in 2030."[28]
United Airlines announced in June 2021 that it had signed a deal to purchase 15 Boom Overture aircraft, with an option to buy 35 more.[29][30] American Airlines announced in August 2022 it had agreed to purchase 20 Boom Overture aircraft.[31]
Symphony engine
In December 2022, Boom announced the Symphony, a new propulsion system to be designed for the Overture. Boom will work with three companies to develop Symphony: Florida Turbine Technologies for engine design, GE Additive for additive technology design consulting, and StandardAero for maintenance.[32]
Mach 4 airliner concept
Boom Supersonic is participating in a NASA-led study to develop concept designs and technology roadmaps for a Mach 4 airliner. Boom is part of a team led by Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, alongside Blue Ridge Research and Consulting and Rolls-Royce North American Technologies.[33]
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