A Denver-based startup partnering with Richard
Branson's Virgin Galactic has unveiled what it says will be a supersonic
passenger jetliner.
"Sixty years after the dawn of the jet age, we're still
flying at 1960s speeds," Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Technology,
said in prepared remarks Tuesday. "Concorde's designers didn't have the
technology for affordable supersonic travel, but now we do. Today, we're proud
to unveil our first aircraft as we look forward to our first flight late next
year."
Boom showed off the XB-1, a subscale prototype of its
passenger airliner, at a Denver-area hangar.
The company says the airliner will fly at speeds as fast as
Mach 2.2, which is 1,451 mph, or 10% faster than the Concorde flew before it
was decommissioned in 2003. The plane will seat up to 55 passengers and fly as
high as 60,000 feet.
Its design takes advantage of modern aircraft materials,
such as carbon fiber for the fuselage, along with turbofan jet engines. The
aircraft won't need afterburners, Boom said, allowing it to fly with more fuel
efficiency than the Concorde.
The XB-1, which is one-third the size of the eventual Boom
passenger jet, is scheduled for its first subsonic flight test in late 2017
east of Denver. Supersonic tests are to be conducted near Edwards Air Force
Base in Southern California, the company said.
Virgin Galactic will provide engineering and manufacturing
services, along with flight-test support and operation for the venture. The
company also has an option on Boom's first 10 airframes.
"I have long been passionate about aerospace innovation
and the development of high-speed commercial flights," Branson said. "As
an innovator in the space, Virgin Galactic's decision to work with Boom was an
easy one."
Boom hopes the passenger jet will be certified for service
by 2023, according to reports. Branson has set a target starting price of
$5,000 for New York-London service.