Next gen 'Concorde' taking under 4 hours from New York to London to be unveiled

04 September 2023 , 14:48

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A next-gen airline dubbed the 'Son of Concorde' which will offer three-and-a-half-hour carbon neutral flights from London to New York is set to be unveiled.

Boom Supersonic's Overture is billed as being able to reach speeds of Mach 1.7 (1,300mph). The prototype, called XB-1 Baby Boom, has reportedly hit key milestones during testing and the company behind it has said, if all goes well, it will be unveiled in 2026.

But don't buy your tickets quite yet, as the first commercial passenger flights could still not be until 2029.

The test flights are being carried out at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California, miles from the company's hangar in Centennial, Colorado.

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The prototype, which is planned as a third of the size of the final product, during testing (Boom)

The prototype has just completed 'taxi testing' which is when the plan proves it can go down the runway at speed without leaving the ground, the company have said.

Chilling final words of Concorde pilot before fireball crash which killed 113

Blake Scholl, Boom Supersonic founder and CEO, said: "The recent progress made towards XB-1's first flight reflects the team's collective efforts to build and safely fly the world's first independently developed supersonic jet."

The prototype is around a third the size of the planned final product which will be 201 feet long and carry 64-80 passengers. It is being designed to operate on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is made out of sustainable and renewable sources.

Next gen 'Concorde' taking under 4 hours from New York to London to be unveiled

Boom Supersonic hope to be able to provide a 3.5 hour flight to New York (Boom)

When complete, the Overture won't have the same 'supersonic boom' that the original Concorde was often criticised for. Instead there will be a softer noise. According to Boom Supersonic, the special four wing-mounted engines will mean a lower amount of thrust is needed for each and this will reduce noise levels.

Despite it being over 50 years since the first prototypes of the Concorde flew, Overture will fly at Mach 1.7 (about 1,300mph), less than Concorde’s max cruising speed of Mach 2.04 (1,550 mph).

Part of the complex development process (Boom)

Airlines concerned about their carbon footprint in a more environmentally conscious world, such as United Airlines and American Airlines, are planning to buy up Overture planes when they become ready. In August 2022, American Airlines placed a deposit on up to 20 aircraft, with an option for 40 more. In June 2021, United Airlines ordered 15 Overture aircraft, with an option for 35 more. Japan Airlines made a pre-order for 20 aircraft in 2017.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an "experimental airworthiness certificate", given to more unconventional flying machines so the manufacturer can perform tests on the XB-1, Boom Supersonic has said.

The protoype on the runway in the Mojave desert (Boom)

Along with successful taxi flights, the firm's one-third model, XB-1 Baby Boom, has received an 'experimental airworthiness certificate', given to more unconventional flying machines so the manufacturer can perform flight tests.

Letters of agreement with airspace authorities will allow for test flights over the Mojave desert.

"It’s fitting that XB-1 is now progressing toward first flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port, home to more than 50 first flights and other significant aviation events," said Bill Shoemaker, chief test pilot at Boom Supersonic.

"I’m looking forward to flying XB-1 here, building on the achievements of other talented engineers and pilots who inspire us every day to make supersonic travel mainstream."