Reinventing the cockpit, Boom unveils an all-new flight deck and shares rapid progress on Symphony engine at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024.
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Boom unveiled an all-new flight deck for Overture, designed around pilots with safety at the forefront. The next-generation flight deck builds upon years of learning in aviation safety and is the result of extensive feedback from airline, business, and military pilots. Boom also demonstrated rapid progress on its Symphony engine, with hardware testing underway and the first full-scale engine core to be operational in just 18 months. Additionally, Boom announced its full production plan for Symphony, expanding its relationship with StandardAero to include engine assembly and testing at their facility in San Antonio, Texas.
These announcements come on the heels of accelerating momentum for Boom. In March, the company conducted the historic first flight of its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator and in June completed construction on the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Overture cockpit features
Anchored by the Honeywell Anthem avionics suite, Overture’s flight deck combines state-of-the-art technologies with safety-enhancing features to give pilots unprecedented situational awareness and ease of control. Boom’s flight deck delivers the benefits of advanced automation and envelope protection, together with a force-feedback system that allows pilots to feel how the airplane is flying. With key airplane features accessible through high-definition touch screens, Overture can benefit from ongoing over-the-air software upgrades.
Force-feedback sidesticks. For the first time on an airliner, force-feedback sidesticks allow pilots to control the plane while physically feeling both aircraft response and inputs made by the co-pilot or autopilot.
Autoland and augmented reality. Building on the system flown on XB-1, Overture has an advanced augmented reality vision system for takeoff and landing, eliminating the need for the droop nose used on Concorde. Pilots can safely land using autoland or augmented reality views provided on a headworn device and on the pilot’s primary flight display.
Large 17-inch touchscreens. High-definition touchscreens eliminate the hundreds of breakers and buttons found in legacy cockpits. Every airplane function is accessible through software while physical controls—such as stick, throttle, and landing gear—are offered for safety-critical functions.
Over-the-air upgrades. Overture will receive over-the-air software upgrades, meaning new features and improvements will arrive regularly. Airlines can control how upgrades are rolled out across fleets.
Symphony engine updates
In June, Boom revealed that it is already building and rig-testing Symphony hardware, starting with a full-scale test of combustor aerodynamics. The first 3D-printed parts have been produced for Symphony, including fuel nozzles and turbine center frames.
These hardware tests began just 18 months after the initial announcement of Symphony, demonstrating our rapid development approach. As part of this strategy, the company will conduct more than 30 engine hardware rig tests, allowing for validation and optimization of all key engine components, ranging from fan and nozzle acoustics to combustor fuel efficiency.
Boom also announced that it has accelerated development of a full-scale engine core, which will be operational in late 2025. Testing conducted on the engine core will analyze performance of the compressor, combustor, and turbine section. Data gathered will further refine engineering and expedite production of a fully certified engine. Following this rapid development approach, Boom expects to build and test multiple iterations before certifying the final refined engine.