The Overture supersonic aircraft should start production in 2024.
Supersonic jets stopped commercial flights in 2003 with the last Concorde flight , but they seem closer than ever to a comeback.
The Boom company announced Overture , its proposal to bring supersonic commercial flights back.
“Flying at twice the speed of today’s airliners, Overture opens the door to a dramatically more accessible world where we can experience people, places and cultures firsthand,” the company said to much fanfare.
Overture will begin production in 2024.
Overture, the supersonic plane
Overture is the result of recent innovations in aerodynamics, noise reduction and better performance than Concorde.
Four engines, contoured fuselage and gull wings prepare it to reach supersonic speeds of Mach 1.7 over water.
Overture will be able to carry between 65 and 80 passengers with a range of 4,250 nautical miles (7,871 kilometers).
All this fueled with sustainable aviation fuel
Overture Specifications
- Cruise speeds: Mach 1.7 supersonic, Mach 0.94 subsonic
- Range: 4,250 nautical miles
- Passengers: 65 to 80
- Exterior dimensions: 61.2 meters long, combined wings of 32 meters and height of 10.9 meters.
Where will the Overture fly to?
The plane would follow the path of the Concorde , specializing in routes such as New York – London that would take 3 hours and a half, half of the 7 it takes to make them in traditional planes.
Overture will be able to take advantage of its Mach 1.7 speed over water, while it will have subsonic speeds over land.
One of the main problems with supersonic aircraft is sonic booms, shock waves produced after an object passes Mach 1 speed .
This makes it less feasible to take advantage of supersonic speeds in non-overwater flight, though Overture promises less noisy operation when taking off and landing.
What happened to the Concordes?
The Concordes were the result of collaboration between the industries of the United Kingdom and France , achieving their first flight in 1969.
Pan Am, BOAC, American Airlines, Qantas, United Airlines, Braniff, Air Canada and other airlines reserved units, but ended up canceling the order. The 1973 oil crisis was one of the main factors.
The supersonic aircraft began commercial flights in 1976, being operated only by British Airways and Air France .
