Summary Boom Supersonic unveiled a revolutionary cockpit for Overture at Farnborough Airshow, emphasizing safety and pilot comfort. Development of the cockpit involved VR simulations, seat prototypes, and pilot feedback for maximum efficiency. Overture cockpit integrates modern technologies, such as AR and active sidesticks, offering a cutting-edge flying experience.
During the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 , Boom Supersonic unveiled its flight deck for the Overture . The company said it had ‘reinvented the cockpit’ with a design that centers on pilots with safety at the forefront. I caught up with Boom at their chalet to take a look at the new flight deck myself and find out what’s new and interesting about this design.
Developing a new and different cockpit Boom started to design the new flight deck around two and a half years ago. The group was tasked with creating a cockpit that delivers on ergonomics and comfort, improves situational awareness for the crew, and integrates emerging technologies like automation. Naturally, safety would be at the heart of any design.
Designing a cockpit for Overture wasn’t easy; like Concorde, it is narrow and pointed at the end, meaning there is less real estate to play with than on traditional aircraft. Pilot visibility can be an issue, too, so there were plenty of considerations to be incorporated into the design. The first iterations were designed using CAD (computer-aided design) and then transposed into VR for pilots to evaluate the proposal.
Pilots considered whether the angles on displays were right, how everything fit into the cockpit, and their comfort levels. Once the VR designs were refined, Boom started making mock-ups of the layout. By integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into the plans, pilots could sit in a seat and visualize where controls would be and how everything would fit together.
From here, the company iterated on things like seat height and position and the locations of critical components. Finally, a complete mockup, including 3D-printed components, was made, allowing pilots to experience the design hands-on. By the time Farnborough Airshow 2024 rolled around, Boom had integrated its final cockpit design into a working simulator, which some of the Simple Flying team had the pleasure of flying.
More on that later! What’s inside the cockpit of Boom’s Overture? Boom announced in December last year that the Honeywell Anthem integrated flight deck would form the basis of the Overture’s avionics. The technology is not quite yet certified by the FAA, but first flew in May 2023 on a Pilatus PC-12 , so is well on the path to approval. Boom has customized the flight deck to some extent and added some other bits and pieces to create a unique and rather lovely flying experience.
Some of the most interesting features include: Large 17” touchscreens : Hundreds of breakers and buttons found in a normal cockpit have been replaced with several huge high-definition touchscreens. Every single function of the aircraft is available via the software, although the company is retaining some physical controls for critical functions including sidestick, throttle and landing gear. Active sidesticks : Boom went with sidesticks after consultation with pilots, who agreed these were better for comfort in flight.
The two BAE sidesticks are active, meaning what happens on the left also happens on the right, so there is no disagreement possible between pilot and co-pilot. They also get feedback from the aircraft, so the pilots can actually ‘feel’ what’s happening to the plane. Augmented reality and autoland : Taking cues from the success of the XB-1’s systems and flights, Overture pilots will use AR for takeoff and landing.
The AR will give pilots excellent visibility outside and around the aircraft, letting them see ‘through’ the walls of the plane. Pilots will also have the option to use an autoland feature for safe touchdowns. This very technology-first development process has produced what is a very technology-first flight deck.
Boom also says that Overtures will be able to receive software updates over the air, making updating your supersonic jet as simple as updating your iPhone. The AR difference Augmented reality (AR) is making waves all over the industry, but Boom will be the first to implement it as part of the equipment list on a newly built aircraft. Overture pilots will use Universal Avionics’ SkyLens II head-worn devices, which integrate views and signals from cameras and sensors all around the aircraft to provide enhanced situational awareness.
Most importantly for Boom, this way of providing oversight of the outside world means there will be no need for a droop nose, as was necessary for Concorde. This would have added huge complexities (and cost) to the project, but thanks to modern technology, we have a more elegant solution. Looking back at the unique design.
“Following XB-1’s successful test flight, we’re accelerating. Overture features an all-new flight deck, incorporating extensive pilot feedback, resulting in a flying experience that is both innovative and instantly familiar.” Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic.
What’s it going to be like flying the Boom Supersonic Overture? At the Boom chalet, some of the Simple Flying team got to experience landing the Overture at London Heathrow Airport . The Boom crew were running a competition for pilots, evaluating success by the level of Gs at the point of touchdown. We didn’t win, sadly, but put in a good showing! “The cockpit interface is quite user-friendly, akin to that of the A350 cockpit.
Furthermore, since the Overture has decided to utilize the sidestick rather than the yoke, it will be easier for Airbus pilots to integrate into the Overture in the future. - Abid Habib, Journalist, Simple Flying Feedback from our team and others flying the sim was that it was very responsive, and the position was comfortable. We spotted that Boom had some pretty cool pedals in development - apparently, they’re going to be a little smaller once finalized - which sport the Boom logo embossed into the metal.
Mike Bannister, former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways , was also at the show and tried landing Overture. His feedback was..
. “I’ve long believed that Overture is the rightful successor to Concorde..
.after experiencing Overture’s flight deck, which is incredibly well designed and delightful to fly, my excitement and enthusiasm for this aircraft has only intensified.” Engine development for Overture is accelerating There is also a lot of work going on with Symphony, the engine that will power Overture.
In October 2023, the Symphony team successfully completed the engine’s Conceptual Design Review (CoDR). This paved the way for hardware rig tests, which are now underway. Boom has also accelerated the development of a full-scale engine core, which will be operational in late 2025.
Say what you will about Boom, but Overture is definitely happening!.
