CAN BOOM SURPASS CONCORDE?
Boom Supersonic don’t plan to fly supersonically over land. Their plan is to fly over land at Mach 0.94, which they claim will allow 20 per cent faster overland travel than standard passenger airliners, even subsonically.
They also claim the design of their engines will ensure Overture is no louder than modern subsonic airliners when it takes off.
In terms of gas guzzling, they plan to use up to 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel to reduce emissions and their carbon footprint.
Concorde was made of aluminium using design tools available in the 1960s. Modern design methods and modern aerospace materials such as titanium and carbon fibre should also allow Overture and similar craft to weigh much less than Concorde, improving efficiency.
While Boom are currently receiving a lot of interest, with orders from many airlines, Concorde did have similar commitment before it become available. Most of it didn’t eventuate.
Additionally, Concorde was the product of an analogue era when the idea of flying to London or New York for the day for an important business meeting seemed like a necessary thing. In a world of remote work and video meetings, is there still a need for a supersonic airliner in the 2020s?
For now, supersonic airliners like Overture are likely to remain in the realm of the rich and famous, like Concorde did. But with modern technological advances, it will be interesting to see whether supersonic passenger travel once again becomes reality – or even goes mainstream. Only time will tell.
Chris is a UQ Amplify Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Hypersonics in the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering at the University of Queensland. This commentary first appeared in The Conversation.
