We've seen all kinds of forward-thinking ideas for the future of air travel, but most of these ideas seem to revolve around getting more butts in seats and not actually revolutionizing the experience.
We might soon see a jet that truly moves things forward at twice the speed of a normal aircraft. The futuristic concept takes its cues, somewhat counterintuitively, from a plane that was mothballed twenty years ago.
This supersonic jet was truly ahead of its time, with the ability to fly between New York and London in just three and a half hours. Unfortunately, the plane was cramped, tickets were expensive, and regulations prevented it from flying over land. A deadly crash in 2000 that killed all 109 people on board doomed the troubled plane, and all Concorde aircraft were officially retired in 2003.
Boom Technology, a company founded back in 2014, has raised more than $100 million in venture capital over the past few years and has finally unveiled its ambitious first project.
It takes some design cues from the Concorde, but it isn't an homage. The shape of the plane owes to the fact that supersonic travel requires jets to have a certain profile.
Boom says the design comes after "26 million core-hours of simulated software designs, five wind tunnel tests, and the careful evaluation of 51 full design iterations."
For those keeping score at home, 26 million hours equates to nearly 3,000 years, so they've clearly done their homework.
One of the big criticisms surrounding the Concorde was the fact that it was a noisy ride. Boom aims to change that with the Overture, boasting that it'll have the "world's first automated noise reduction system."
In many ways, it looks like the Concorde 2.0. But considering the Concorde was years ahead of its time, perhaps the Overture is coming along at the perfect time.
Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl said, "Aviation has not seen a giant leap in decades. Overture is revolutionary in its design, and it will fundamentally change how we think about distance."
While the jet will be big enough for passenger travel, Boom has also partnered with Northrop Grumman to make other variants — likely for the U.S. Air Force and other allied air forces around the globe.
It's expected that the Overture will first do some test flights in 2026, with a tentative date of 2029 for when it will actually be ready to fly commercial routes with passengers.
Two issues that crippled the Concorde will likely be present with the Overture. First, the jet's streamlined design will make the cabin cramped. Secondly, unless regulations change, sonic booms are generally prohibited over land. This means that the jet will either need to fly over oceans, as the Concorde did, or will be limited to subsonic travel if flying over land.
Finally, tickets on the new plane will likely be prohibitively expensive.
The jet clearly needs a few more years in the oven before it's ready to fly, but the concept art and details paint a promising picture. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on this plane in the comments!
