Aerospace firm Boom Supersonic have revealed their latest designs for the world’s fastest airliner. Optimised for speed, safety, and sustainability, the refined design of their Overture airliner will carry 65–80 passengers at twice the speed of today’s airliners while running on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). It can cross the Atlantic in 3.5 hours. Overture will fly Mach 1.7 over water with a range of 4,250 nautical miles. The new designs were revealed at the Farnborough International Airshow on 19 July2022 and is the culmination of 26 million core-hours of simulated software designs, five wind tunnel tests, and the careful evaluation of 51 full design iterations, resulting in an economically and environmentally sustainable supersonic airliner. “Aviation has not seen a giant leap in decades. Overture is revolutionary in its design, and it will fundamentally change how we think about distance,” said Boom Founder and CEO Blake Scholl. “With more than 600 routes across the globe, Overture will make the world dramatically more accessible for tens of millions of passengers.” With this updated configuration, Boom combines a number of engineering innovations in aerodynamics, noise reduction, and overall performance. Its key features are a four-engine design, with four powerful, wing-mounted engines that enable the airliner to cruise at Mach 1.7 over water and just under Mach 1 over land. Additionally, the four-engine design reduces noise while also decreasing costs for airline operators. Engine placement was selected to conform to the strictest passenger safety requirements. On take-off, Overture will use the world’s first automated noise reduction system. The airliner will fly without afterburners, meeting the same strict regulatory noise levels as the latest subsonic airplanes. These noise reduction efforts will deliver a quieter experience both for passengers and airport communities. Overture’s fuselage has a larger diameter toward the front of the aircraft and a smaller diameter toward the rear. Boom has applied this design technique to minimise drag and maximise fuel efficiency at supersonic speeds. GThe aircraft’s wings are sculpted to enhance supersonic performance as well as improve subsonic and transonic handling. Importantly, the wing shaping also helps ensure safety and stability at any speed. Overture will also incorporate carbon composite materials into the majority of the build that are lighter, stronger, and more thermally stable than traditional metal construction. Carbon composites can also be manufactured with highly complex curvature, contributing to the aircraft’s aerodynamic efficiency. Sustainability is woven into all aspects of Overture, from design and production to flight and end-of-life recycling. Additionally, the company announced today that it will begin outfitting The Iron Bird, a new 70,000-square-foot hardware ground test facility in Centennial, Colorado to house its first full-scale Overture testing model and flight deck simulators. The test model, also called an iron bird, will be used for integrating Overture’s flight hardware, software, and systems. Earlier this year, Boom announced its selection of the Piedmont Triad area for its first Overture Superfactory and remains on track to begin production in 2024. In addition to this, Overture also announced a new partnering agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop special mission military variants of the aircraft.