Sponsored Listings:
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.
Sourse: travelweekly.com
