Boom Supersonic unveils new Symphony engine for faster-than-sound Overture airliner

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Right on the heels of NASA's QUESST engine announcement Boom is making one of their own...

Boom Supersonic unveils new Symphony engine for faster-than-sound Overture airliner

This potent new turbo-fan engine is designed for net zero carbon efficiency and quiet operation.

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Boom Supersonic's new Overture supersonic passenger plane will use a new Symphony engine. (Image credit: Boom Supersonic)
Boom Supersonic is determined to create the planet's fastest airliner with its needle-nosed Overture supersonic plane, and now the sleek craft will be equipped with a brand new turbo-fan propulsion system.


This month, the Denver-based Boom Supersonic announced plans to power uts faster-than-sound Overture passenger plane with its Symphony engine. The new engine is being developed under partnership with a trio of industry vanguards: Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT) for engine design, GE Additive for additive technology design consulting and StandardAero, one of the aerospace industry's biggest independent maintenance, repair and overhaul providers.

"Developing a supersonic engine specifically for Overture offers by far the best value proposition for our customers," said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic in a Dec. 13 statement(opens in new tab). "Through the Symphony program, we can provide our customers with an economically and environmentally sustainable supersonic airplane — a combination unattainable with the current constraints of derivative engines and industry norms."

Overture's customized propulsion system is intended to run at net zero carbon and flying relatively quietly for a supersonic jet, passing the test for Chapter 14 noise levels with flying colors. Symphony hopes to offer a significant 25% increase in time on wing and drastically lower engine maintenance and repair costs, thereby slashing airplane operating bills for customers by a minimum of 10%. Boom Supersonic plans to provide Overture jets to United for passenger flights and has teamed up with Northrop Grumman on a military jet for the U.S. Defense Department.

"United and Boom share a passion for making the world dramatically more accessible through sustainable supersonic travel," Mike Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures, said in the statement. "The team at Boom understands what we need to create a compelling experience for our passengers, and we are looking forward to a United supersonic fleet powered by Symphony."


FTT is well equipped to confidently head up this new supersonic engine design. Many of its veteran engineers were instrumental in creating the powerful F-119 and F-135 supersonic engines that are installed on the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Panther.

"The team at FTT has a decades-long history of developing innovative, high-performance propulsion solutions," said Stacey Rock, President of Florida Turbine Technologies, in the same announcement. "We are proud to team with Boom and its Symphony partners and look forward to developing the first bespoke engine for sustainable, economical supersonic flight."

A cutaway look at the Symphony engine for Boom Supersonic's Overture passenger airliner. (Image credit: Boom Supersonic)

According to Boom Supersonic's Dec. 13 statement(opens in new tab), Symphony will be designated as a medium-bypass turbofan engine conceived with the same basic engine architecture found in nearly all of today's regular commercial aircraft. However, in a deviation from traditional subsonic turbofans, this next-generation propulsion system adds a proprietary Boom-designed axisymmetric supersonic intake, matched with a variable-geometry low-noise exhaust nozzle and a passively cooled high-pressure turbine.

Some specific design features on the drawing board for Symphony include a twin-spool, medium-bypass turbofan engine with no afterburner, generating a massive 35,000 pounds of thrust at takeoff and burning 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Its single-stage fan highlights whisper-quiet operation and will be fully compliant with all FAA and EASA Part 33 requirements.

Symphony's complex blueprints and design refinements are moving forward according to plan, with Overture rocketing towards official type certification in 2029. Production will kick off in 2024 at Overture's Greensboro, North Carolina superfactory with a slated 2026 rollout and 2027 first flight test.

 

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https://www.compositesworld.com/news/boom-supersonic-begins-construction-on-overture-superfactory

Boom Supersonic begins construction of Overture Superfactory​

Composite supersonic airliner Overture is on track to enter production in Greensboro, North Carolina by 2024.

On Jan. 26 Boom Supersonic (Denver, Colo., U.S.) kicked off construction of its Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina. The site is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located on a 62-acre campus at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. It will house the final assembly line, as well as test facility and customer delivery center for Boom’s flagship supersonic airliner, Overture.

By 2032, Boom will hire more than 2,400 workers at the Superfactory, with recruitment already underway. North Carolina economists estimate that the full Boom manufacturing program will grow the state’s economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years. In addition to Boom’s job creation in the state, the company is creating more than 200 internships for students in North Carolina public universities, community colleges and trade schools to build the next generation of supersonic workers.

“Building on our legacy of ‘First in Flight,’ North Carolina is ready to partner with Boom Supersonic in leading the way to a fast and clean aviation future,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper says. “Our economy is taking flight with a talented workforce and strong infrastructure ready for these new, good-paying jobs in innovation and aerospace.”

Boom selected North Carolina as the site for Overture aircraft manufacturing because of its large skilled talent pool, access to exceptional universities, community colleges and technical schools, proximity to the Eastern Seaboard for supersonic flight testing over water and close proximity to several top-tier aerospace suppliers. North Carolina’s aerospace manufacturing sector has reportedly grown three times faster than the national average over the past few years.

“It’s an exciting time to live in North Carolina and see the influx of innovative companies establish roots in our state,” North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger says. “The high-paying and skilled jobs that Boom Supersonic will create will make a significant economic impact in the Triad and across the entire state.”


Throughout 2023, Boom will focus on construction of the Overture Superfactory with BE&K Building Group (Durham, N.C., U.S.) and its design partner, BRPH. The building will be LEED certified in keeping with Boom’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

In 2024, Boom will install tooling, provided by Advanced Integration Technology (AIT), ahead of moving into the building and preparing the facility and staff for Overture production launch the same year.

Boom continues to complete critical program milestones including the unveiling of Symphony, the new propulsion system designed and optimized for Overture, which also took place in Greensboro last month.