Blake Scholl: Why Plane Speed Stalled, Supersonic Commercial Flight, & Revolutionizing the Engine

Video summary

Boom Supersonic’s Blake Scholl says XB-1 ended the U.S. supersonic ban and its engine could add 10 gigawatts to the grid.

Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl recounts building XB-1 with a team of about 50, then breaking the sound barrier in 2025 using “boomless cruise,” which redirects the sonic boom upward. He says the U.S. ban on supersonic flight ended by executive order on June 6, and the Supersonic Legalization Act passed the House unanimously. After ending its Rolls-Royce partnership, Boom chose to design and manufacture its own engines. The technology is also being adapted for data centers: Scholl says a trailer-based system can deliver 42 megawatts without water, with tens of gigawatts of customer demand and a goal to add more than 10 gigawatts to the grid over five years. For Overture, he estimates a three-hour round trip across the Atlantic at Mach 1.7, with a $3,500 break-even fare and a four-year target. He also describes congressional support and rapid White House action on supersonic rules.

Chapters

1. 0:00Welcome Blake Scholl: Boom’s 50-person team builds XB1, the first privately developed supersonic jet
2. 5:11Solving the sonic boom: Boomless Cruise and the June 6 end of the US ban
3. 6:37The pivot to powering data centers: 42-megawatt engines and a 10-plus-gigawatt goal
4. 10:38Jason joins: $3,500 transatlantic fares, tens of gigawatts of demand, and Boom’s vision for supersonic travel