Boom Technology Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Boom Technology, Inc.

Type	Private
Industry	Aerospace industry
Founded	2014; 11 years ago (2014) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Founders	Blake Scholl Joe Wilding Josh Krall
Headquarters	Centennial, Colorado
Key people	Blake Scholl (CEO)
Products	Supersonic aircraft design
Number of employees	150

Boom Technology, Inc. (also known as Boom Supersonic) is an American company. It is working to build a new type of very fast passenger airplane called the Overture. This plane will fly faster than the speed of sound.

Boom Supersonic has also built and tested a smaller, one-third-size test plane. This plane is called the Boom XB-1 "Baby Boom". It flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time on January 28, 2025. This important flight happened from the Mojave Air and Space Port.

History of Boom Supersonic
Supersonic Projects
See also

History of Boom Supersonic

The company started in Denver, Colorado, in 2014. It joined a special program called Y Combinator in early 2016. This program helps new companies get started. Many investors, like Y Combinator and Sam Altman, gave money to Boom Supersonic.

In March 2017, several investment groups put $33 million into the company. By April 2017, Boom had raised a total of $41 million. In December 2017, Japan Airlines invested $10 million. This brought the company's total money to $51 million. This money helped them build the XB-1 "Baby Boom" test plane. It also helped them start designing the larger 55-seat passenger plane. In January 2019, Boom raised another $100 million. This made their total funding $151 million.

In January 2022, Boom Supersonic announced plans to build a large factory. This factory is about 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m²) in size. It is located at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In November 2023, a group called the NEOM Investment Fund also invested in Boom. The amount of money was not shared.

If the Overture plane is finished, it will carry 64 to 80 passengers. It would be the first supersonic passenger jet since the Concorde. The British-French Concorde stopped flying in 2003.

Supersonic Projects

The XB-1 "Baby Boom" Test Plane

The Boom XB-1 "Baby Boom" is a smaller, one-third-size test aircraft. It was designed to fly at Mach 2.2. This means it can fly more than twice the speed of sound. It can also fly over 1,000 nautical miles [nmi] (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) (about 1,150 miles). The plane uses three General Electric J85-15 engines. Each engine provides about 4,300 pounds-force [lbf] (19 kN) of power.

The XB-1 was shown to the public in October 2020. Its first flight test happened on March 22, 2024. During this flight, the plane reached speeds up to 238 knots (441 km/h; 274 mph) (about 274 miles per hour). It also flew higher than 7,000 feet (2,100 m). In another test flight on December 13, 2024, the aircraft reached speeds up to 517 knots (957 km/h; 595 mph) (about 595 miles per hour). It flew at an altitude of over 27,000 feet (8,200 m).

On January 28, 2025, the XB-1 broke the sound barrier. It reached speeds up to 650 knots (1,200 km/h; 750 mph) (about 748 miles per hour). It also flew at an altitude of over 35,000 feet (11,000 m). This made it the first privately funded aircraft to fly faster than sound. It reached a speed of Mach 1.122. Boom Supersonic said the XB-1 flew supersonically without making a loud sonic boom on the ground. They improved their designs to make this possible.

The Overture Passenger Jet

The Boom Overture is the planned supersonic passenger plane. It is designed to fly at Mach 1.7 (1,000 kn; 1,800 km/h; 1,100 mph). This is about 1,300 miles per hour. It will carry 65 to 80 passengers. The plane is planned to have a range of 4,250 nmi (7,870 km; 4,890 mi) (about 4,890 miles).

Boom believes there could be a need for 1,000 supersonic airliners. They suggest that airlines could charge prices similar to business class tickets. The Overture uses a delta wing shape, similar to the Concorde. It is also built using composite materials, which are strong and light. The plane will have three dry turbofan engines. Each engine will provide between 15,000–20,000 lbf (67–89 kN) of power.

Boom announced in January 2021 that they planned to start Overture test flights in 2027. Boom CEO Blake Scholl thinks that passenger flights on Overture could begin around 2030.

United Airlines announced in June 2021 that it agreed to buy 15 Boom Overture aircraft. They also have an option to buy 35 more. American Airlines announced in August 2022 that it agreed to buy 20 Boom Overture aircraft.

The Symphony Engine

In December 2022, Boom announced the Symphony. This is a new engine system designed specifically for the Overture plane. Boom is working with three companies to develop Symphony. These companies are Florida Turbine Technologies for engine design, GE Additive for special manufacturing, and StandardAero for maintenance. In April 2025, Boom bought a former test facility in Colorado. This site will be used to test the Symphony engine.

Mach 4 Airliner Concept

Boom Supersonic is also part of a study led by NASA. This study is looking into designs and technologies for an even faster airliner. This plane would fly at Mach 4, which is four times the speed of sound. Boom is working with a team led by Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. Other partners include Blue Ridge Research and Consulting and Rolls-Royce North American Technologies.

Boom Technology facts for kids

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