By Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo
Boom Supersonic Inks New Manufacturing Partnerships
Boom Supersonic announced structural supply agreements with three major aerospace companies for its Overture supersonic aircraft at the Paris Air Show 2023. The Centennial, Colo.-based company has signed agreements with Aernnova for Overture’s wings, Leonardo for the fuselage and wing box, and Aciturri for the tail.
Overture is the sustainable supersonic aircraft being built by Boom that will fly twice as fast as today’s commercial airliners. It will be a 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) aircraft powered by Symphony™ engines manufactured by Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT), a commercial unit of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., according to the company.
Boom’s commercial backlog currently stands at 130 aircraft from major airlines including United, American and Japan Airlines. The company also continues to work with Northrop Grumman on a Department of Defense variant of a special mission variant under NASA’s High-Speed Endo-atmospheric Commercial Vehicle Conceptual Design Study and Technology Roadmaps Development program.
The first agreement was signed with Aernnova of Spain, one of the world’s largest Tier 1 aerospace suppliers, which will design and develop Overture’s wing structure. Overture’s gull-wing is unique in that it is structurally thinner than typical subsonic wings to reduce drag and enable efficient travel at higher speeds, increase supersonic performance, and improve subsonic and transonic maneuverability.
The Overture aircraft (Photo: Boom)
The second agreement was signed with Leonardo, an Italian defense, aerospace and security company. The Italian company will support the integration of the structural components of the fuselage and will partner in the design and construction of two major sections of the Overture fuselage, including the wing box. The Overture has a shaped fuselage with a larger diameter toward the front of the aircraft and a smaller diameter toward the rear, chosen to minimize resistance to shock waves and maximize efficiency at supersonic speeds.
The third agreement was again signed with a Spanish company, Aciturri, a Tier 1 aerospace supplier of aerostructures and components for aircraft engines. Aciturri will develop and design the Overture tail, which features a differentiated horizontal stabilizer that provides greater control at subsonic speeds, particularly during takeoff and landing.
Boom has partnered with Florida Turbine Technologies to assemble the initial production units of the Symphony engine, which will power the Overture. Boom will utilize FTT’s expertise for ground testing, flight testing and engine certification, and has selected Jupiter, Flo, as the base for initial production.
Boom’s Symphony engine (Photo: Boom)
At the Paris Air Show 2023, Boom also unveiled the 3D printed 1/3 scale model of the Symphony, whose technical specifications include:
- Two-coil turbofan engine, medium bypass, no afterburner
- 35,000 lb thrust
- Optimized for 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
- FAA Part 33 and EASA CS 33 compliant
- ICAO Chapter 14 noise certification
Boom continues to make strides as it expands its global supplier network, which already includes Safran Landing Systems, Eaton, Collins Aerospace, Flight Safety International, FTT, GE Additive and StandardAero, consolidates the configuration of the Overture systems, and moves toward production.
Vincenzo graduated in 2019 in Mechanical Engineering with an aeronautical curriculum, focusing his thesis on Human Factors in aircraft maintenance. In 2022 he pursued his master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Palermo, Italy. He combines his journalistic activities with his work as a Reliability Engineer at Zetalab.
