Days after the U.S. Air Force let SBIR contracts to startups Exosonic and Hermeus for potential Air Force One (and other executive use), Boom Supersonic announced it has similarly been tabbed to develop its upcoming Overture supersonic aircraft for that same role. Boom may have a strategic leg up in this competition as its XB-1, called “Baby Boom,” is slated to roll out next month and begin test flights in 2021. Both the Exosonic and Hermeus programs, with help from the USAF’s AFWERX program, are still in the early design phase.
“By cutting travel times we make it possible for U.S. diplomats and executive leaders to connect more frequently in person, meeting challenges and defusing potential crises with a personal touch,” said Blake Scholl, Boom founder and CEO, in a statement. “We’re so proud to help envision a new way for the Air Force to provide transport for critical government activities.”
“Boom is an example of the American ingenuity that drives the economy forward through technological advances,” said Ryan Britton, Program Executive Officer for Presidential & Executive Airlift Directorate. “We are extremely excited to team with them as we work to shrink the world and transform the future of executive airlift.”
Boom’s test program will eventually filter up to the Overture aircraft, a 50-seat, pointy-nosed design with three Rolls-Royce medium-bypass turbofans without afterburners. The company says the design will be capable of Mach 2.2 with 5000-mile range.
I dunno, I sort of envision delivery of Fearless Leader via rocket boost & ballistic capsule. Capsule settles gently in the plaza of the international meeting hall on a final burst of retro engine, door swings up, Fearless Leader emerges (in macho custom flight suit, natch) with briefcase in hand. I mean, how cool is that??
Talk about “scope creep”…the original description of the money to made available by the Air Force was for a supersonic Air Force One. Now we find this.
“By cutting travel times we make it possible for U.S. diplomats and executive leaders to connect more frequently in person, meeting challenges and defusing potential crises with a personal touch,” said Blake Scholl, Boom founder and CEO, in a statement. “We’re so proud to help envision a new way for the Air Force to provide transport for critical government activities.”
Frankly, when have we seen “meeting challenges and defusing potential crisis with a personal touch” demonstrated? I have seen …making challenges, expanding potential crisis into real ones, and certainly all done with a personal touch. Now Boom can have their handout because they don’t have an airplane capable of hauling the payload of a 747-400 at supersonic speeds. Neither does anyone else for that matter. But when the scope of the grant creeps making an SST for Congressional leaders, diplomats, and other executive leaders ( another vague description) for their collective high speed transportation “needs”, Boom!, we have another company throwing their hat in the ring for a million dollar check or more.
I don’t want our collective leadership fanning the flames of controversy and political mud-slinging spread over our country or the globe at supersonic speeds. This crap already moves fast at 5G plus speeds via keyboard courage, Twitter, and mainstream politically motivated media. But we can buy some time for damage control by sending all of this collective leadership abroad and locally as described by the Boom CEO via EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor. We need a slower, less comfortable airplane for these personal leadership liaisons instead of supersonic speeds. To me, our collective leadership has repeatedly demonstrated ( over long periods of time) the need more time to think about what they say and do, not less.
Once again another demonstration of what we are initially told of a possible supersonic replacement for Air Force One morphing into an expanding morass of available grants and development money for potential supersonic transport for far more than the President.
Yea, that’s what we taxpayers need to pay for. Stupid idea.