The world hasn’t seen commercial supersonic travel in nearly 20 years since the Concorde was retired in 2003, but all that is about to change with the development of a new, environmentally friendly airliner.
Meet Overture – the world’s fastest airliner that was developed by Denver-based Boom Supersonic.
With 26 million hours of designing and testing, Overture will run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as it flies at Mach 1.7 over the ocean, shuttling between 68-80 passengers up to nearly 5,000 miles.
The updated design features four engines that will keep weight and temperature balanced, which will also lower the size requirements of the wing-mounted engines.
Boom says that smaller engines will lower the thrust requirements for each one.
And the lower the thrust – the quieter they will run.
“With no afterburners and buzz-free engines, Overture’s takeoffs will blend in with existing long-haul fleets, resulting in a quieter experience for both passengers and airport communities,” Boom said on its website.
The signature sonic boom people hear when an aircraft goes supersonic can rattle nerves and windows. But unlike the Concorde, Overture’s sonic boom would be heard over the ocean as to not disturb people on the ground.
Net zero carbon and SAF
Overture’s engines will run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel as it flies at Mach 1.7.
Boom says the environmental impacts of Overture were taken into consideration when designing the new airliner, and that will aid the company in its journey to achieving net zero carbon by 2025.
“Environmental performance is being considered in all aspects of Overture, from design and production to flight and end-of-life recycling,” Boom said on its website. “The engineering team prioritizes circularity by repurposing used tooling, recycling components on the shop floor and leveraging additive manufacturing techniques that result in less manufacturing waste and lighter, more fuel-efficient products.”
In its design, Overture will incorporate lighter, stronger and thermally stable carbon composite materials into most of its construction.
A lighter aircraft will make the airliner more fuel efficient, making it more sustainable for the environment.
Another environmentally friendly aspect of Overture is the use of sustainable aviation fuel.
What is SAF?
SAF delivers the same performance as conventional jet fuel but with a significantly smaller carbon footprint.
The fuel comprises different types of sustainable resources, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste, to name a few.
Fuselage and gull-wing design
Overture has been optimized for speed, safety…
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