Sep 22, 2026 · 18 min
Boom Supersonic bets aviation can break its speed ceiling
Blake Scholl: Why Plane Speed Stalled, Supersonic Commercial Flight, & Revolutionizing the Engine
The episode examines whether Boom can turn supersonic passenger travel from a historical exception into a commercially viable service.
- 1Boom Supersonic is using the XB-1 demonstrator to revive commercial supersonic travel after decades of aviation stagnation.
- 2Overture is projected to cross the Atlantic in 3.5 hours at Mach 1.7, with a roughly $3,500 round-trip break-even fare.
- 3Boomless Cruise, customer demand, and bipartisan political support could help address the technical, commercial, and regulatory barriers to supersonic flight.
Don't miss
Blake Scholl describes the moment Boom’s XB-1 broke the sound barrier and the political response that followed.
The brief
Blake Scholl, founder of Boom Supersonic, argues that commercial aviation has barely advanced since Concorde and the moon landing. His company is trying to restart that clock.
Boom’s XB-1 demonstrator became the first privately developed jet to break the sound barrier and demonstrated boomless supersonic flight, giving the company a technical proof point.
Scholl projects a 3.5-hour Atlantic round trip at Mach 1.7, with a roughly $3,500 break-even fare. That makes economics as central as engineering to Overture’s case.
Boomless Cruise, or Mach cutoff, redirects the sonic boom upward at lower supersonic speeds. The approach is meant to ease one of the central regulatory obstacles to overland flight.
The conversation closes on Boom’s twelve-year campaign for bipartisan support, including rapid attention after XB-1 broke the sound barrier and an Overture model reaching the Oval Office.
What was said on this episode
12 statements · 10 positive · 2 neutral
Boom’s first vertically integrated jet-engine core will begin testing next month.
“our first vertically integrated jet engine core is getting assembled, and it's going to be on a test stand next month”
Listen at 7:49
Boom’s engine core can provide 42 megawatts without requiring water.
“we can deploy 42 megawatts for behind-the-meter power generation with a supersonic engine core that's designed to run hot so it doesn't need any water”
Listen at 8:42
Boom’s turbine factory will produce multiple gigawatts annually.
“it will scale to making multiple gigawatts per year”
Listen at 9:41
Boom aims to add more than 10 gigawatts to the grid within five years.
“over the next 5 years, we aim to add 10+ gigawatts to the grid”
Listen at 9:44
Overture will fly twice as fast over water and 50% faster over land without sonic booms.
“we get to look forward, uh, to flying faster than the speed of sound, twice as fast over water, 50% faster over land with no sonic boom”
Listen at 9:57
A Mach 1.7 Atlantic round trip will take 3.5 hours and break even at $3,500.
“Round trip across the Atlantic at Mach 1.7, 3.5 hours, and the break-even fare is about $3,500”
Listen at 11:02
Boom aims to make its supersonic aircraft available within four years.
“Our goal is 4 years”
Listen at 11:22
Boomless Cruise works up to Mach 1.3, about 50% faster than current flight.
“that works up to about Mach 1.3, or 50% faster than how we can fly today”
Listen at 12:29
Boom’s data-center power business has exceptionally strong demand and profitability potential.
“It's an incredible money printing business. I've never seen demand like this for anything else in my life.”
Listen at 13:17
Boom has demand inquiries totaling tens of gigawatts.
“There are tens of gigawatts of demand in my inbox.”
Listen at 13:24
Boom may develop a supersonic private jet if existing manufacturers do not.
“If they don't, I guess we'll do it.”
Listen at 14:35
Boom’s success requires faster flights for every passenger class.
“We will have won when we've sped up flights for every passenger”
Listen at 15:21
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
Featuring
Blake Scholl
Concorde
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