Will Boom Supersonic‘s Mach 1.7 Jet Get You from San Francisco to Tokyo in Just 6 Hours by 2029?

Imagine stepping off a plane in Tokyo just 6 hours after taking off from San Francisco, meeting colleagues for dinner instead of needing a hotel to recover from an exhausting 11+ hour haul. It may sound unrealistic, but one Colorado startup believes they have the technology and expertise to make 6-hour hops between major economic hubs across the Pacific a regular reality within this decade.

Boom Supersonic, founded in 2014 by industry outsider-turned-CEO Blake Scholl, has aviation giants including Japan Airlines betting on their plans to redefine commercial flight speeds for the first time since Concorde‘s retirement in 2003. Boom is promising their flagship supersonic jetliner called Overture will fly 65 to 80 passengers from the West Coast to Asia in half the time of conventional flights once entry into service happens in 2029.

This in-depth profile will analyze if Boom‘s ambitious vision is credible and examine all angles of what regularly scheduled ~6 hour trips between San Francisco and Tokyo by the end of this decade could mean for business travel and beyond. Is boom‘s proposed timeline achievable? What travel pain points does this address? And does supersonic have a real second chance given past failures?

Boom Timeline: Ready to Manufacture History‘s Most Efficient Supersonic Jet

Boom Supersonic has moved rapidly from a baseline concept to nearing completion of a pre-production supersonic demonstrator aircraft called XB-1. This busy timeline shows the momentum building as Boom looks to rewrite supersonic air travel history:

Blake Scholl leads Boom as Founder and CEO, leveraging expertise from senior roles at Amazon, Groupon, and Kozmo. He‘s backed by a leadership roster featuring alumni from SpaceX, Airbus, Ford, and McKinsey.

This blend of unconventional and traditional industry expertise shows in Boom‘s data-driven design approach that optimizes for economic viability instead of peak speeds or prestige alone. The Overture is shaped by historical analysis revealing why superb but financially unsustainable designs like Concorde ultimately flopped last century.

Boom‘s progress has attracted over $250 million in funding to date from leading airline, aerospace, and tech investors who believe in supersonic‘s imminent comeback:

With backing from leading airlines and growing pre-order interest, Boom projects potential demand for 1,000+ Overture aircraft over 10 years of production. That optimistic outlook is fueling an expanding manufacturing complex to build this next generation Concorde successor.

Overture: Pushing Supersonic 60% Further On Less Fuel

Overture is shaped by a mission to drive supersonic technology markedly beyond capabilties from last century. Thanks to advanced computing power leveraged in the design process, Overture‘s efficiency improves dramatically over history‘s supersonic jets:

While Concorde approached cruise speeds of Mach 2, its turbojet engines gulped fuel limiting profitable route lengths without stops to refuel. Boom strikes an optimized balance of speed versus range, with Overture reaching Mach 1.7 for over 60% of typical flight times. Cleverly Swept Wings enhance performance at high speeds while relaxing takeoff and landing requirements.

Boom‘s Chief Engineer is a Concorde veteran who spent decades analyzing design pain points. Applying 21st century tech like computer simulation reduces weight and drag substantially. For the first time, supersonic aircraft can meet modern noise and emissions standards for high-value routes.

And Overture is designed for sustainability from the ground up. Boom‘s engines ingest biofuel and synthetic blends with net-zero carbon life cycle emissions. That‘s essential for environmental viability as supersonic jets consume 5X+ more fuel per passenger. Careful optimization balances pace and planet.

Over 500 Routes, $100 Billion in Potential Market Value

Overture‘s 4,250 nautical mile (~5,000 mile / 8,000 km) design range unlocks an estimated 2X the route opportunities that Concorde served at its 1976 peak:

With dozens of global business hubs potentially just 6-8 hours away instead of 12+, Boom sees $100+ billion in annual market value up for grabs. Over 500 city pairs become viable targets for premium supersonic service.

And the advantage over modern subsonic business jets like Gulfstream‘s G650 is profound on lengthy routes. Mach 0.9 business jets take ~13.5 hours to fly from San Francisco to Tokyo in ideal conditions. Overture expects to slash that below 6 hours at twice the speed over the same distance.

Boom‘s own market modeling suggests supersonic air travel can succeed today where past efforts failed by focusing relentlessly on economic viability instead of speed and prestige for their own sake. Lessons from Concorde‘s unsustainable operating costs are baked into Overture‘s design DNA.

Manufacturing an All-New Supersonic Jet

To manufacture their supersonic vision, Boom is transforming a North Carolina airpark into a high-tech production hub for next-gen aerospace. Their expanding campus has added almost half a million square feet since early 2021:

With Phase 2 tooling installation beginning in 2023, Boom aims to produce up to 100 Overture aircraft annually for the first 5 years, potentially rising to 140 per year. That output could displace over 65,000 tons of carbon emissions in Overture‘s introductory years.

Ambitious? Certainly. But Boom is methodically checking milestones towards this vision. 2023 will see test flights commence for the XB-1 technology demonstrator to validate performance predictions and mechanical soundness. An experienced program leadership team is guiding Overture‘s build process toward a 2026 first flight target and 2029 service entry timeline.

While pandemic supply chain woes caused delays adjusting the full timeline, progress remains steady for revived supersonic passenger travel before 2030.

Slicing Hours Off Flights to Asia and Beyond

Boom‘s promise of connecting San Francisco to Tokyo in a mere 6 hours may sound incredulous given existing flight times exceed 11 hours. But for time-strapped business travelers, saving nearly a whole workday aloft means more time to meet mission objectives. And stopping overnight fatigue lets meetings happen quicker without recovery.

Analysis suggests Overture could slice existing lengthy flights to major Asian hubs by 55% or more:

And companies prioritizing rapid expansion into Asian markets are likely to highly valuate these sizable time savings.

Hopping between West Coast tech hubs like Silicon Valley and Seattle to Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Singapore in 6 hours also unlocks more flexible tech partnership opportunities. Instead of multi-day commitments, key innovators could collaborate in person more spontaneously.

Can Supersonic Travel Really Succeed Today?

Understandably, doubts linger whether boom‘s vision is realistic given supersonic‘s checkered past. But optimizing the full package for economic sustainability instead of peak speed alone aims to avoid Concorde‘s pitfalls.

And one key shift versus the Concorde era is oil economics. During 1970s fuel crises, extreme energy usage was clearly unviable. But as aviation shifts toward cheaper biofuels and synthetics with far lower emissions footprints, equation changes substantially.

What about noise regulations? Clever swept wing design allows Overture to meet airport noise requirements. Concorde‘s straight wings lacking careful contour management created piercing sonic booms.

Do passengers want extreme speeds badly enough to pay premiums? Early airline order interest and years of market surveys suggest yes – at least for wealthy individuals and corporate travel budgets.

No doubt risks remain deterring supersonic‘s mainstream establishment. But the pent-up desire for faster flights after Concorde‘s untimely demise appears strong amongst travelers who value time savings over costs for key trips.

Supersonic Travel‘s Second Chance

In the 1960s, breaking the sound barrier captivated imaginations while inaugurating the modern jet age. But subsequent supersonic designs drowned under economic realities.

Today, Boom Supersonic is writing a daring next chapter combining bleeding edge tech and sustainable priorities. Overture aims not just to be fast, but financially viable operating supersonic routes profitably out of the gate.

And early airline order interest plus $250M+ in funding signals expert confidence in Boom‘s plans. By mid-2023, gearing up production and demonstrating key systems, evidence supporting or opposing Overture‘s capabilities should grow rapidly.

If faith holds true through 2029, corridors like San Francisco to Tokyo could see flight times slashed by nearly half. Instead of full days lost traveling, power brokers might come and go in 6 hours without disrupting sleep cycles. And linking major economic hubs faster and cleaner becomes far more tenable.

For now, Boom setting sights on sector-redefining super-fast, super-efficient flight remains an ambitious vision. But step by step, this dream evolves toward decisive moments that may finally inaugurate sustainable supersonic‘s second act.