Where Concorde left off, Boom takes up the mantle
You might have missed flying across the Atlantic on the Concorde a couple of decades back. That was the sleek British Airways supersonic jet that could take 100 passengers from London to New York City in luxury by streaking through the ultra-smooth air like a whisper at 60,000 feet above sea level–at double the speed of sound. Well, don’t lose hope. The seed of supersonic trans-ocean passenger flight has spouted again. This time in Colorado.
Boom Technology, Inc., or just “Boom,” is raising money to make supersonic passenger travel a reality once again. The Denver-based startup filed a Form D with the SEC, seeking to raise an initial $5 million, and it has already raised just over $2 million as of April 18th.
The Fastest Passenger Airplane Ever
Boom labels its concept aircraft as “the fastest passenger airplane ever.”
The company claims that unlike the more pricey airfares of its supersonic predecessor, Boom will be able to fly you to London for $2,500, about the same price as today’s business class. And it claims it’ll will get you there at a speed of Mach 2.2 – 1,451 mph – 10% faster than Concorde. The trip from New York to London shrinks to 3.4 hours if Boom can pull it off.
The company is led by technology entrepreneur and pilot Blake Scholl, with key positions populated by veterans of Gulfstream, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed Martin and Virgin Galactic. Scholl told media outlets that a prototype is targeted to make test flights at the end of 2017. Scholl said he expects the final model to retail for $200 million and hold 40 passengers. “At our hangar in Denver, we’re combining jet engines and carbon fiber, advanced design software and wind tunnel tests.”
First test flights will occur at Centennial Airport, with supersonic testing near Edwards Air Force Base in California, according to the company’s website.
If Boom decides to go public, it’ll have to wrangle the ticker symbol that it would most likely covet from an oilfield products and services company that also happens to be based in Colorado. Dynamic Materials Corporation (ticker: BOOM; DMCGlobal.com) runs a segment called DynaEnergetics which is an international developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced explosive components and systems used to perforate oil and gas wells.
Boom concept supersonic passenger jet at Heathrow Airport
