Speed
Or Lack Thereof...
By Chris Smith
Every now and then, designs for a futuristic aircraft concept are released, including by heavyweights Airbus and Boeing, and you take one look, laugh, and think "no chance!". This article explores two of those concepts that against all odds look set to make it over the line. They could not be at more opposing ends of the spectrum, for one is the Boom Overture supersonic transport, the other the Heart Aerospace ES-30 hybrid electric 30-seater turboprop.
Boom Overture
A concept would often appear for a supersonic bizjet, commercial airliner concepts were less common but still would emerge from time-to-time. What made me and likely the rest of us sit up and take notice was orders from big names United, American, Japan Airlines and Virgin although the latter have since cancelled. That's now been further reinforced by the completion of the factory at Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro, NC (The HondaJet also appears to be built here) and the "Baby Boom" XB-1 one-third scale technology demonstrator which has already had its first flight.
XB-1
It's not without its hurdles. They redesigned the aircraft in 2022 to it's current Concorde-esq appearance, making it a quad-jet in the process, and the XB-1 is based on the original design, so in theory will be less effective now. It also fails to live up to Concorde in both speed and capacity:
| Concorde | Overture | |||
| Capacity | 120 | 80 | ||
| Speed | Mach 2 | Mach 1.7 | ||
| Range | 3,900nm | 4,250nm |
Original design
They have also had engine issues, with none of the big manufacturers wanting to get involved, leading them to develop their own engine "Boom Symphony" in-house. This may prove to be only a good thing, manufacturers these days contract far too many elements out to third parties.
It also lacks afterburners and I'm not sure of the wisdom behind naming a company operating on the very edge of possible as "Boom"! However, perhaps we should just be grateful we are getting a supersonic airliner back! On the plus side, it is expected it will be able to go supersonic over land, which Concorde couldn't.
It feels blasphemous to say it, but I dare suggest the Overture is every bit as iconic in appearance as Concorde.
I only got to see Concorde fly once around seven or eight years old, by fluke I just happened to glance out of a hospital window (Doncaster Royal Infirmary if memory serves), it was descending into Leeds Bradford in the late nineties. It was blink-and-you'll-miss-it but also unmistakeable and my Dad was there to verify the sighting. I've never been able to identify the specific airframe as LBA enjoyed 60 visits versus our three! But the likely candidate was an Air France example. I'm only too glad I might get to witness and maybe even fly a similar aircraft in the not too distant future, even if it will never quite be Concorde...
The Boom Overture is expected to enter production this year so manufacturing should have already started.
Heart ES-30
The Heart ES-30 much like the Overture has just rolled out a demonstrator, in this case a full-scale one, the Heart X1, with a pre-production prototype, the X2 soon to follow. It's got no legs, from Teesside it could just about manage the farthest-flung destinations you would expect from a 30-seater regional aircraft from here (e.g. Paris).
X1
Also like the Overture, it's gained some big name backing again including United, plus Air Canada and Mesa Airlines, with all three investing in the company itself as well as placing orders. Saab have also invested, probably no coincidence the start-up is Swedish. Unlike other regional turboprops in development, it will need to sell the same levels as the previous generation of 30 seaters - there's evidence to suggest the D228NG at least is struggling, producing a mere 4 aircraft per year (to digress, the D228/328 are no longer related, with General Atomics now producing the D228NG and new start-up Deutsche Aircraft the D328eco, although I don't think General Atomics have actually churned any out since buying the program from RUAG). It probably doesn't help that the cost of these aircraft should be the same now as back in the 1990s when adjusted for inflation, yet both appear to cost significantly more which could put customers off - why the hike?
It is also worth mentioning that Embraer are/were investigating a next-generation turboprop based on the E-Jet fuselage. Originally, they were targeting the 50-70 seat market - 50 seats most airports like ours could just about get away with. But a redesign has increased this to the 70-100 seat market, too big for us and leaving the vital 30-50 segment vacant.
Embraer NGTP - original
Embraer NGTP - new
The ES-30 could be just what the doctor ordered for what this airport needs. I get frustrated at unqualified individuals claiming regional doesn't work from here after airlines who choose not to advertise properly butcher the routes with poor timings and fuel-guzzling jets, leaving no other candidates to takeover. See my article "Turboprop Turbulence" for more on this issue. Trouble is, the aircraft needs to sell in decent numbers and I don't see Eastern being in a position to order any. It would likely take a new start-up to order some in a few years time, probably when a second-hand market has developed.
| ES-30 | |
| Capacity | 30 |
| Speed | TBC |
| Range | 108nm (electric) 216nm (hybrid) 432nm (25 PAX limit) |
| Charge time | 30 min |
Both airframes are targeting a 2029 certification.