Faced with the reality of no major commercial jet engine manufacturers willing to invest in a commercial supersonic engine, Boom Supersonic now has a new plan. The company will develop its own – dubbed Symphony – in partnership with Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT) for engine design, GE Additive for additive technology design consulting, and StandardAero for maintenance.
engines
American Airlines buys in to Boom, despite significant uncertainties
American Airlines is the second US carrier to sign with Boom Supersonic. The airline plans for 20 Overture deliveries, plus another 40 options.
Boom Overture adds engines in design revamp
Boom Supersonic announced the final design selection for its planned Overture supersonic jet. Now sporting four engines mounted on gull wings, as well as a contoured fuselage, company executives announced the revised configuration at the Farnborough International Airshow outside London this week.
Boom building at Greensboro, new environmental concerns revealed
Boom Supersonic announced plans for a “Superfactory in North Carolina to build its flagship Overture aircraft. Against the backdrop of this progress, however, come new challenges for the company.
Boom fires up the engines on XB-1 supersonic demonstrator
The Boom Supersonic XB-1 engines are installed and running. The company released an update on the flight test program progress, including details on the installation and first test runs of the three General Electric J85 engines on board.
United, ZeroAvia see hydrogen-powered regional jets by the end of the decade
United Airlines wants to power some of its regional jets with hydrogen by the end of the decade. The company announced a deal with ZeroAvia to purchase up to 100 of the new zero-emission, 100% hydrogen-electric engines (ZA2000-RJ). The engine could be retrofit to existing United Express aircraft as early as 2028.
A fleet of salvage-priced planes
Does it matter that airlines are flying planes worth more in the scrap yard than they are to a new owner? Probably not, but United’s latest effort to secure a $3bn loan is an interesting insight into the world of aircraft valuation considerations.
Delta completes first Pratt & Whitney GTF engine overhaul
When Delta Air Lines announced a massive deal three years ago to bring the A321neo into its fleet the planes were just a part of the news. The maintenance support opportunity associated with the contract is huge, and Delta TechOps took a major step forward on that front late last month, completing the first comprehensive maintenance visit of a PW1100G-JM engine.
Boom Supersonic picks an engine manufacturer (for further discussions)
Should the Boom Supersonic jet take flight later this decade there’s a very strong chance it will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines. While this is not a formal engine model selection it does advance the project and provides further indications as to how the program might take flight.
Airbus, Rolls-Royce halt development on E-Fan X electric aircraft
The initial goal was a hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator embarking on its first flight in 2021. The new reality is that the E-Fan X project has been scrapped. Rolls-Royce and Airbus pulled the plug on the joint development effort late last week.