Denver-based Boom Supersonic announced milestones across its Overture airliner and Symphony engine programs at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow this week in its mission to build the world’s fastest airliner. The company confirmed that the Overture remains on target to achieve FAA and EASA certification by the end of the decade.

The company showed a new flight deck, has made rapid progress on its Symphony purpose-built turbofan engine that will enable supersonic flight, and announced that its engines will be assembled in San Antonio, TX, through an expanded agreement with StandardAero. The Boom-developed engine is supported by suppliers like Florida Turbine Technologies and Colibrium Additive.

The announcements come on the heels of news in March that the company conducted the historic first flight of its XB-1 supersonic technology demonstrator aircraft and in June completed construction on the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, NC. The XB-1, said to be the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, took flight in Mojave, CA.

“Passengers and airlines are hungry for supersonic flight,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “Following XB-1’s successful test flight, we’re accelerating. Overture features an all-new flight deck, incorporating extensive pilot feedback, resulting in a flying experience that is both innovative and instantly familiar. Our Symphony engine has quickly progressed through design into hardware rig testing, and with a fully operational engine core on track for next year, our rapid development approach is pacing ahead of schedule.”

 

New flight deck

Overture’s flight deck builds on the next-generation Honeywell Anthem avionics suite. An advanced head-worn vision system from Universal Avionics, which just joined the Overture program, is integrated into the flight deck. Boom worked with BAE Systems to integrate active control sidesticks into the Overture flight deck simulator displayed at Farnborough.

The flight deck is the result of feedback from airline, business, and military pilots to offer “unprecedented” situational awareness and ease of control to provide passengers with the safest possible flight experience. It offers the benefits of advanced automation and envelope protection, together with a force-feedback system, that allows pilots to feel how the airplane is flying. Key airplane features accessible through high-definition touchscreens can benefit from ongoing over-the-air software upgrades.

Boom recently completed a series of flight deck tests with commercial pilots from leading airlines, including Mike Bannister, former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways and author of “Concorde: The Thrilling Account of history’s Most Extraordinary Airliner.”

“I’ve long believed that Overture is the rightful successor to Concorde,” said Bannister. “After experiencing Overture’s flight deck, which is incredibly well designed and delightful to fly, my excitement and enthusiasm for this aircraft has only intensified.”

For the first time on an airliner, force-feedback sidesticks allow pilots to control the plane while physically feeling both aircraft response and inputs made by the co-pilot or autopilot.

Building on the system flown on XB-1, Overture has an advanced augmented reality vision system for takeoff and landing, eliminating the need for the droop nose used on the Concorde. Pilots can safely land using autoland or augmented reality views provided on a head-worn device and the pilot’s primary flight display.

High-definition touchscreens eliminate the hundreds of breakers and buttons found in legacy cockpits. Every airplane function is accessible through software while physical controls are offered for safety-critical functions such as stick, throttle, and landing gear.

Over-the-air software upgrades mean new features and improvements will arrive regularly, with airlines controlling how upgrades are rolled out across fleets.

 

Engine advances to hardware testing

Boom revealed in June that it is building and rig-testing Symphony engine hardware, starting with a full-scale test of combustor aerodynamics. The first 3D-printed parts have been produced for the engine including fuel nozzles and turbine center frames.

The hardware tests began just 18 months after the initial announcement of Symphony, demonstrating Boom’s rapid development approach. The company will conduct more than 30 engine hardware rig tests, allowing for the validation and optimization of key engine components ranging from fan and nozzle acoustics to combustor fuel efficiency.

Boom also announced that it had accelerated the development of a full-scale engine core, which will be operational in late 2025. Engine core testing will analyze the performance of the compressor, combustor, and turbine section. The data gathered will further refine engineering and expedite the production of a fully certified engine.

Following this rapid development approach, Boom expects to build and test multiple iterations before certifying the final refined engine.

StandardAero will assemble and test Symphony engines at its facility in San Antonio. The Symphony assembly line will scale to produce 330 engines annually within a footprint projected to total over 100,000 ft² (9290 m²).

“We are excited to expand our role to include the assembly and testing of Symphony engines, further supporting the development of next-generation flight with Boom,” said Russell Ford, Chairman and CEO of StandardAero. “Our collaboration is a testament to StandardAero’s world-class engineering capabilities and dedication to delivering solutions that power the future of air travel.”

Boom also announced it is teaming with ATI for advanced high-temperature materials and components for the engine’s high-pressure compressor integrated blade and disk stages and its turbine assembly. The advanced nickel-based superalloys will enable Symphony to achieve high performance and reliability in sustained supersonic operation.

 

Market development

Boom Supersonic’s mission is to make the world dramatically more accessible through flights that are faster, more affordable, more convenient, and more sustainable. The company is developing Overture optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability.

Overture will fly at twice the speed of today’s airliners and is optimized to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Overture’s order book stands at 130 aircraft including orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.

In addition to Honeywell and Universal Avionics, suppliers and partners collaborating with Boom on the Overture program include Aernnova, Aciturri, Collins Aerospace, Eaton, Latecoere, Leonardo, Safran Landing Systems, and the U.S. Air Force.

Boom is working with Northrop Grumman for government and defense applications of the Overture. Announced at Farnborough in 2022, the partners are working to offer the U.S. government and allies a supersonic special-mission aircraft. Potential applications include quick-reaction surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, as well as mobility and logistics missions, such as emergency medical evacuation and troop transport.