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Boom Supersonic Comes One Step Closer to Building World's Fastest Passenger Plane

March 23, 2017
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2 min read
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Boom Supersonic Comes One Step Closer to Building World's Fastest Passenger Plane
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Boom Supersonic, the company that hopes to build the world's fastest passenger aircraft, has just secured $33 million in its Series A round — a hefty sum that will go toward building a 1/3-scale prototype of the supersonic jet that will eventually be sold to airlines.

The company hopes to dramatically cut down on travel times — it promises that the final product will be able to make the transatlantic flight between New York and London in only three hours and 15 minutes, which is less than half the time of a typical flight between the two cities.

How does NYC to London in just over three hours sound? Image courtesy of Boom Supersonic.

The funding will support the build-out of the XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator (known as the "Baby Boom"), which will be used to demonstrate that the jet is safe for flight. Once successful flights have been completed, the company will begin constructing full-size aircraft.

The Baby Boom is set to fly its first flight next year with passenger flights on full-size Boom aircraft scheduled to take take off in the 2020s. While this technology has been around since the 1960s (the Concorde was a supersonic jet that flew from the 1970s until 2003), the aircraft ultimately failed due to a number of reasons including the high price of a ticket, the cost of fueling the aircraft and even the sonic boom it created. Thanks to today's technology and further innovation from Boom, you could break the sound barrier for the cost of a typical business-class ticket.

H/T: Tech Crunch

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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