Where is the Boom Supersonic solution up to?

Boom Supersonic: November 2024 Milestones and Progress.

Introduction

November has been a month of significant achievements for Boom Supersonic, as the company continues to make strides toward supersonic flight. With successful test flights, new collaborations, and innovative testing, Boom Supersonic is steadily advancing its mission to revolutionize air travel. Let's explore the key milestones and progress made in November.

Boom Overture on approach.

Wheels Up: Progress in the Hangar

The phrase "wheels up" has become increasingly common in the Boom Supersonic hangar. In November, the team completed two successful flights, launched new tests, and achieved several milestones toward supersonic flight. Testing requires time and patience, and Boom Supersonic appreciates the support and interest in XB-1's progress as they work methodically toward safe, supersonic flight.

Flight 8: XB-1’s “New” Underbelly

On November 16, XB-1 completed its eighth flight, confirming safe operation at Mach 0.8 with the stability augmentation system off. This flight expanded the altitude envelope to over 25,000 feet, continued tests of the Flutter Excitation System (FES), and reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.82 (487 knots true airspeed). A new series of tests was introduced in collaboration with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Air Force Operational Energy Office, testing the durability of a shark skin-inspired ‘riblet’ material by MicroTau, applied to XB-1’s aft underbelly to reduce drag, fuel consumption, and emissions.

Boom Overture flying through cloud.

Flight 7: Cleared for New Heights

Flight 7, completed on November 5, saw XB-1 officially cleared to fly at 30,000 feet—the altitude it will reach when flying supersonic. The team focused on flutter envelope expansion and cockpit pressure testing, ensuring safe performance and handling qualities at higher altitudes and supersonic speeds. XB-1 reached Mach 0.82 (499 knots true airspeed), performing several tests at higher speeds to ensure predictable handling up to transonic speeds.

Key Milestones Achieved

The flight test program for XB-1 has been systematic and rigorous, achieving several key milestones:

• Flight 6: Flutter and handling quality tests at a higher altitude.

• Flight 5: Landing gear retracted immediately following takeoff; flutter excitation system tests.

• Flight 4: First use of the flutter excitation system; wind-up turn with elevated g-forces.

• Flight 3: Maximum pitch and yaw attitudes expected in supersonic flight; environmental control systems tests.

• Flight 2: Landing gear retracted and extended in-flight for the first time.

• Flight 1: Initial assessment of XB-1’s handling qualities.

Next Up: The Transonic Regime

No aircraft flies at supersonic speeds without first flying at transonic speeds. During Flights 7 and 8, XB-1 began to operate within the transonic regime (Mach 0.82), bringing it closer to breaking the sound barrier. Flight 9 will see XB-1 going deeper into the transonic regime, a challenging speed range that causes structural vibrations known as the “transonic buffet.”

The Heat Is On

At ATI’s Dallas facility, Boom Supersonic has begun metal forging for the first superalloy that will power the hottest sections of the Symphony engine. This superalloy is being tested at long-duration high temperatures, simulating the conditions the engine will experience during supersonic cruise.

Conclusion

November has been a month of significant progress for Boom Supersonic, with successful test flights, new collaborations, and innovative testing. As the company continues to advance toward supersonic flight, the achievements of November mark important steps in the journey. With each milestone, Boom Supersonic moves closer to revolutionizing air travel and making supersonic flight a reality.

Is this the return of the Supersonic Jet?

A new Supersonic Jet is just around the corner.

Not since 24 October 2003, when the futuristic Concorde made her last flight, has supersonic air travel been available to the masses. Well, we use the term masses loosely. Concorde was an extremely expensive machine to run and those who flew her paid top dollar for the privilege. In addition to the high running cost, she was also limited to flying over water at supersonic speeds due to the sonic boom created by flying above the speed of sound. For environmental reasons, most countries banned supersonic jets from flying over their territory because of the sonic boom. This naturally limited the appeal of this aircraft due to the limitation of the routes it could be usefully flown over.

It is amazing to think that this technology was available until nearly two decades ago. High-flying businessmen in London, for example, could go to New York, do their business, and be back home for dinner. Surely that demand is still there.

So what are the challenges that a Supersonic plane design has to overcome? The main ones are, cost to operate, sonic boom noise, landing/take-off noise, and emissions.

We can agree that technology has certainly made vast improvements in the time since Concorde flew. Engine technology has enabled more power to be delivered by quieter engines. Composite materials have given higher strength to airframes at lower weights as well as lower manufacturing costs. One thing remains, however, the sonic boom. This limiting factor is still a roadblock.

British Airways Concorde registration G-BOAC.

There has been, over the last couple of years, increasing pressure in the U.S. for environmental standards around supersonic transport aircraft to be relaxed. There are three start-up companies that have already invested considerable money and resources into the development of their own version of a supersonic transport aircraft.

Impression of the Boom Technologies Mach 2.2 capable airliner.

These are Boom Technologies with their Mach 2.2 capable airliner, Spike with their Mach 1.6 capable S-512 Quiet Supersonic Business Jet, and Aerion with their Mach 1.4 capable As2 Business Jet. These are all slated to be ready for service between 2023 and 2025. Even the Russians are dipping their toe back in the supersonic pond, with the United Aviation Corp (UAC) aiming to start on their own offering in 2022. You may recall Russia had a Concorde look alike, the Tupolev TU-144. Dubbed, the Koncordski. This aircraft never met with any success, being used on domestic routes only, until it suffered a final setback, breaking up in flight over the Paris Air Show.

Spike S-512 might just be the world’s very first supersonic business jet.

Meanwhile, the household name manufacturers are still hard on the case. Boeing has had various designs over the years to enable it to enter the Super Sonic Transport (SST) space. None have got much further than the drawing board. They are, however, working on a new concept that they hope will reinvent our expectations of fast flight. The hypersonic airliner will travel at Mach 5, which is about 3800 mph (6110 km/h) or five times the speed of sound. This is still around twenty to thirty years away and no doubt will depend on technology that to date has yet to be made available.

Lockheed Martin also has an offering in the works. In 2018 Lockheed Martin was selected to design a Low Boom Flight Demonstrator(LBFD). Their X-59 QueSST (Quiet SST) will fly at 55,000 feet at a speed of around 940 mph / 1,513 kph / 817 knots. The aim is to reduce the sonic boom from a boom to a light thump, a bit like a car door closing.

In July 2018, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), under the lead authorship of Dan Rutherford produced a report called, "Environmental performance of emerging supersonic transport aircraft". The report was drawn from studies and simulations carried out at Stanford University and was in response to mounting pressure on the Trump Administration to relax rules governing overland supersonic flight in the U.S.A..

The report looked back at Concorde and compared it with conventional airliners of the day, say the Boeing 747. It was obvious that in every aspect, the Concorde was less environmentally friendly. The supersonic plane was less fuel efficient, noisier at airfields, emitted higher levels of nitric oxide in the take-off and landing phases, and had higher levels of carbon dioxide in cruise, not to mention the sonic boom. They then looked at the situation today. As we've mentioned already, technology has moved forward in many aspects of aircraft manufacturing. Does this work for the supersonic jet manufacturer? Yes, of course, new things are possible now that were not in the 1960s when Concorde was developed. However, the bar has been lifted as far as eco standards around commercial aircraft are concerned.

The report found that the gap between conventional airliners and the new generation of supersonic planes was much the same as those in the time of Concorde. So, let's say the U.S. relaxes its rules around supersonic jet travel. Will this be enough of a market for plane makers to make a profit out of? The U.S. relaxing its rules doesn't mean other countries will follow. In fact, some European countries have made it clear that they will not entertain the idea of supersonic flights over their territories. Even flying to those countries, with the last overland portion done at subsonic speeds may not work, as there are still airport noise and emission standards to overcome. So, needless to say, a complex issue.

For an aircraft manufacturer, the idea is to develop an aircraft for which you have calculated there is a market that will enable you to sell enough to recoup your cost, as well as make a profit. Some of the supersonic jet maker start-ups are estimating that they will be producing up to 2,000 airframes. These aircraft will serve up to 500 cities by 2035. Imagine, around 5,000 supersonic flights a day. Over a 16-hour flying day, there could be a sonic boom every 15 minutes.

Needless to say, there are exciting times ahead. We would love to see the return of supersonic flight, but in a way that is sustainable to the environment. There is no doubt that solutions to the roadblocks will be found.