How Blake Scholl Built The First Independent Supersonic Jet

TL;DR

Boom Supersonic's XB1 is the first independently developed supersonic jet, built as a prototype to learn lessons for Overture, a 65-passenger supersonic airliner targeting 2029 passenger service at business-class fares.

Key insights

• The Concorde failed due to economics ($20,000 ticket, 100 uncomfortable seats, flew half empty), not technology.
• A supersonic airliner’s performance can be predicted with just four inputs: aerodynamic efficiency (lift/drag ratio), propulsive efficiency, structural efficiency, and Mach number.
• Scholl’s initial spreadsheet model used conservative assumptions; a Stanford professor confirmed they were conservative, not optimistic.