United place order for 15 Boom Supersonic jets

[Two's in]

Either great forward planning or some free global publicity....United Airlines today revelated that it will be the first US airline to go supersonic, placing an order with US-based Boom Supersonic for 15 aircraft. The two companies will work together on several operational and sustainability issues with the new aircraft. And if terms are met, United will purchase 15 aircraft, with an option to take 35 more.

The most likely routes, at least initially, would be transatlantic or transpacific. The same issues that Concorde faced with overland supersonic flights and sonic boom remain. The aircraft could fly from Newark to London Heathrow in three and a half and to Frankfurt in four hours. Transpacific, it could operate from San Francisco to Tokyo in just six hours.

...The Boom Overture will be a 65 to 88 seat premium aircraft, capable of reaching Mach 1.7. It will offer a range of up to 4250 NM (4888 miles).

https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-boom-supersonic/

[TCU]

Can't wait for the Pan Am order....

[what next]

Can't wait for the Pan Am order....

Didn't United order some (six maybe) Concordes back then as well? At least Concorde was eventually built.

[FlightlessParrot]

Can't wait for the Pan Am order....
For a Pan Am order, it has to travel faster than light.

[TURIN]

CONCORDE SST :ORDERS (http://www.concordesst.com/history/orders.html)

Yep, United ordered 6 Concorde.😒

[finfly1]

Buying planes without FAA approval to fly them seems backwards.

Or is Boeing building them?

[PAXboy]

The various reports in various media use the terms 'has bought' 'placed orders for' ' will take' but these are all meaningless, at this stage of development. Also they haven't explained about the new fule they must be developing for they keep talking about it.

United are having a massive PR push - is the AGM due? Is it time for Bonus' to be handed out to the Board?

[jimjim1]

Looks pretty much like a Concorde clone to me.

Below should be a high res image from the article mentioned above.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x2000/hangar_4320x4320_e02528f85a827d8549d3aeaf8a9b46d116980b43.jp g

[WHBM]

United Airlines today revelated that it will be the first US airline to go supersonic
Wasn't Braniff the first ?

Although their sectors from Washington IAD to Dallas were generally subsonic over land, they ran a couple of these at the start or for publicity with a supersonic segment off the eastern seaboard.

[Dorf]

Can't quite figure out the scale of that picture. Either the windows are 5 feet tall, or the ceiling is so low you'll have to go down the aisle on all fours.

Unless they can figure out how to make them solar powered, those things will never get off the ground with the global warming politics of today.

[jolihokistix]

Where do they stow the luggage?

[Bidule]

Looks pretty much like a Concorde clone to me.

At Mach1.7 versus 2.2 for Concorde, and even less seats than Concorde....

.

[RetiredBA/BY]

At Mach1.7 versus 2.2 for Concorde, and even less seats than Concorde....

.
......and will be as “successful” as Boeing’s stillborn sonic cruiser !

..and Concorde cruised at Mach 2.0 not 2.2.

Another Aerion

[Less Hair]

How can they make up a business case and promise performance data without even having an engine selected?

[Alan Baker]

CONCORDE SST :ORDERS (http://www.concordesst.com/history/orders.html)

Yep, United ordered 6 Concorde.😒
Only British Airways and Air France ever ordered Concordes. Many other airlines reserved delivery positions, but these were not "orders". I remember back in the early seventies an Independent Television News reporter asked the boss of Braniff, who had just got off an aircraft at Heathrow, when his airline was going to place firm orders. Perhaps a bit jet lagged he drawled "as I understand it they're pretty firm right now". ITN led that evening's News at Ten with the "news" that the first American airline had placed firm orders for Concorde, of course the poor chap was referring to the reserved delivery positions.

[LostWanderer]

How can they make up a business case and promise performance data without even having an engine selected?

I think the beauty is they don't need to make a case...they got lots of publicity out of this, no commitment to pay a dime as of yet - and it likely will never fly anyway.

Certainly would be cool if it happens but I am slamming this one down in the "nearly zero chance" basket for the moment.

[Less Hair]

Assuming Boom fails (which I don't hope but still would not exclude) wouldn't United end up with being associated with a failed project?
Boom has no engine it seems. How about selecting it first and then make promises?

[jolihokistix]

What follows Boom?

[havick]

Assuming Boom fails (which I don't hope but still would not exclude) wouldn't United end up with being associated with a failed project?
Boom has no engine it seems. How about selecting it first and then make promises?

Not really, United is simply a customer. No one batted an eyelid at any of the customers for Aerion when they predictably went under.

[Koan]

Old news JAL invested in same reported 2017

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boom-japan-airlines/japan-airlines-invests-10-million-in-supersonic-jet-company-boom-idUSKBN1DZ1N2

[tdracer]

This is just as meaningful as when - 20 years ago - the CEO of American said they were buying the Boeing Sonic Cruiser.

That is to say, basically meaningless...:ugh:

[vegassun]

This is just as meaningful as when - 20 years ago - the CEO of American said they were buying the Boeing Sonic Cruiser.

That is to say, basically meaningless...:ugh:

Was that Darth Crandall that said that?

[ORAC]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/american-airlines-orders-60-overture-supersonic-jets-l5mmh63jf

American Airlines orders 60 Overture supersonic jets

The revival of supersonic passenger travel, thought to be long dead with the demise of Concorde nearly two decades ago, could be about to take wing as American Airlines has put in an order for 60 aircraft capable of flying at 1.7 times the speed of sound…..

In June, United Airlines said it had signed up to the venture as a launch customer, putting a firm order in for 15 of Boom Overture planes, with an option to take another 35. United’s great rival American has now trumped it with a firm order for 20 and an option to take a further 40…..

Japan Airlines made a commitment to take 20 of Boom’s planes as long ago as 2017…..

[Less Hair]

So the "man made" climate change topic is officially put to rest now as supersonic travel is bound to return and airline PR departments seem to consider these announcements do more good than harm?
I still consider Boom to be vapourware.

[c52]

Wikipedia quoting Aviation Week says "Design changes announced in July, 2022 included an increase in the number of engines to 4 to allow for smaller less technically challenging engines and to allow takeoff at derated levels to lower noise; and redesigned gull form wing and fuselage to reduce drag." It's also acquired a Concorde-shaped wing since it was first designed. So that is a change in fuselage, wings and engines. In lots of ways they must be starting from scratch.

A technology demonstrator (with a delta wing, the former shape of fuselage and three engines) was rolled out in Oct 2020 and has yet to be taxied. When announced its first flight was scheduled for 2017.

I think the Boeing 7E7 was a much safer bet.

[BlankBox]

Boom Supersonic and Rolls-Royce part ways on engine development
https://www.space.com/boom-supersonic-rolls-royce-engine-split