Boom has orders for 76 of its future supersonic passenger jets
I wish Boom the best of luck in getting a working product, but they need to fix their marketing.  There is absolutely no way that plane tickets will cost 75% less than Concorde tickets, unless something drastic changes from the norm of air travel- either severe baggage restrictions, extremely cramped seating, or different fuel.<p>Even with all the greatest computer model, one thing remains the same: it takes a massive amount of thrust to maintain supersonic flight.  EVERY airplane that is&#x2F;was capable of supersonic cruise (SR-71, XB-70, F-22, Concorde) have&#x2F;had comically oversized engines compared to what design rules of thumb would suggest.  New technologies enable slightly more efficient airframes and slightly more efficient engines, we are talking about a few percent overall.  So, I can see tickets being 20% less than they were in the Concorde&#x27;s day.<p>Part of the reason I think they have mis-calculated a number is that they might be calculating a flight cost that includes fuel only and doesn&#x27;t include other things an airline has to price into a ticket- namely insurance and maintenance.  Insurance for the first supersonic passenger plane since the Concorde is guaranteed to be higher than a 767.  Maintenance is going to be crazy as well- flying at Mach 2.2 places different stresses on an airplane, and they break a lot.  All of the current supercruising airplanes are&#x2F;were maintenance nightmares.  Don&#x27;t think that technology can &quot;magic away&quot; all the maintenance issues that come up with sustained stress on your engines, skin friction, and cooling issues.<p>Unless something else changes, there is no way you&#x27;ll be able to buy a NY to London plane ticket for 75% less than a Concorde.  How might they get there?  Packing people in like sardines, or replacing normal baggage space with extra seats, would both get more paying seats on board, but would be a big setback from what business class passengers expect.  Or maybe there is some magic fuel out there that is lighter than Jet-A&#x2F;B and delivers more thrust and is safe enough for use in a passenger jet.  The existence of magic fuel is unlikely, so be prepared for one of two things- 1. your tickets cost more than expected, or 2. you are packed in like a sardine.<p>Again, I&#x27;m glad that <i>someone</i> is trying to make a supersonic passenger jet, but hyperbolic marketing ultimately hurts you in the long run when it becomes obvious that you can&#x27;t live up to expectations.