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Not sure if there is basic/core technology development being done or valuable technology being generated. Is supersonic flight essentially just throwing a lot o

by acyou 3y ago

Not sure if there is basic/core technology development being done or valuable technology being generated. Is supersonic flight essentially just throwing a lot of jet fuel at the problem of wanting to get someplace fast? Are we expecting to see novel insights and spinoff technologies from the development of this plane and industry? I think there's a key, core military angle to this company, where their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states. I think there is some real value to be generated around super-sonic technology development for missile applications, drone applications, fighter jet applications. I think that this company gets a lot of peoples' backs up, because they don't appear to have any unique insight besides "Rich people and nation states will pay through the nose for wasteful and extremely obnoxious technologies that degrade humanity as a whole." It's a great business, might be nice and profitable, great for rich people and the most developed nation states, might not be so great for the humanity as a whole.

benced 3y ago
Pretty disappointing this is the top (edit: 2nd) comment. It asks and asserts several things that are easy to look up. I'd recommend reading their FAQ page: https://boomsupersonic.com/faq https://boomsupersonic.com/faq It's certainly not a guarantee that this works out but that's true of any speculative enterprise. Personally, I think a speculative world where Asia <> West Coast US is as fast as West Coast US <> East Coast US is pretty exciting.
- deely3 3y ago
  FAQ is mostly marketing with answers to obvious question. Sorry, I have a feeling that you did not read comment to which you replied.
  - benced 3y ago
    The FAQ page addresses several - not all, that's why I said "look up" - of the OP's objections. OP/you might disagree (it is marketing, like you said) but they should state and explain those disagreements instead of acting like Boom hasn't thought of them. > Not sure if there is basic/core technology development being done or valuable technology being generated. Is supersonic flight essentially just throwing a lot of jet fuel at the problem of wanting to get someplace fast? Are we expecting to see novel insights and spinoff technologies from the development of this plane and industry? See FAQ page entries: "Will Overture use afterburners like Concorde?" and "Why did it take so long to bring supersonic flight back after the Concorde?" > I think there's a key, core military angle to this company, where their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states. I think there is some real value to be generated around super-sonic technology development for missile applications, drone applications, fighter jet applications. Scholl indicated Boom Supersonic had no interest in a Boom product becoming a weapons platform at this time. From: https://simpleflying.com/xb-1-first-flight/ https://simpleflying.com/xb-1-first-flight/ More broadly, supersonic missiles and fighter jets already exist. > Rich people and nation states will pay through the nose See "How much will tickets cost?" from the FAQ. Business class pricing seems eminently reasonable for this service. > [W]asteful and extremely obnoxious technologies that degrade humanity as a whole See "How is Boom dealing with the sonic boom?" and "What steps is Boom taking to make supersonic travel environmentally sustainable?"
    - pclmulqdq 3y ago
      Whether the founder thinks there is a weapons angle and whether the market thinks there is a weapons angle are two different things. The founder often loses that fight.
      - benced 3y ago
        Agreed. However, OP said "their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states" which is, minimally, very overconfident.
ethbr1 3y ago
> I think there's a key, core military angle to this company, where their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states. Yes, but not in the way you think. No nation-state with an aerospace engine industry has difficulty making military aircraft go supersonic. Or just buying the same thing off the shelf. However, a lot of nation states have nationalized flag carrier airlines, that they heavily subsidize for prestige reasons. These are the same carriers who were able to afford Concorde, and they're exactly who Boom will be initially selling to.
- ImaCake 3y ago
  Airlines are also an interface for intelligence agencies and presumably a whole bunch of subtle geopolitical stuff. Great way to move your agents around, and you can run operations from the airline's local office.
mlindner 3y ago
> extremely obnoxious technologies that degrade humanity as a whole What's your angle here? Jet aircraft aren't going away in the era we're heading into. We're just going to move to sustainably produced fuels from either biomass or direct carbon capture powered by solar. So there's no reason to make that as an argument against Boom.

by acyou 3y ago

benced 3y ago

Pretty disappointing this is the top (edit: 2nd) comment. It asks and asserts several things that are easy to look up. I'd recommend reading their FAQ page: https://boomsupersonic.com/faq https://boomsupersonic.com/faq It's certainly not a guarantee that this works out but that's true of any speculative enterprise. Personally, I think a speculative world where Asia <> West Coast US is as fast as West Coast US <> East Coast US is pretty exciting.

deely3 3y ago
FAQ is mostly marketing with answers to obvious question. Sorry, I have a feeling that you did not read comment to which you replied.
- benced 3y ago
  The FAQ page addresses several - not all, that's why I said "look up" - of the OP's objections. OP/you might disagree (it is marketing, like you said) but they should state and explain those disagreements instead of acting like Boom hasn't thought of them. > Not sure if there is basic/core technology development being done or valuable technology being generated. Is supersonic flight essentially just throwing a lot of jet fuel at the problem of wanting to get someplace fast? Are we expecting to see novel insights and spinoff technologies from the development of this plane and industry? See FAQ page entries: "Will Overture use afterburners like Concorde?" and "Why did it take so long to bring supersonic flight back after the Concorde?" > I think there's a key, core military angle to this company, where their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states. I think there is some real value to be generated around super-sonic technology development for missile applications, drone applications, fighter jet applications. Scholl indicated Boom Supersonic had no interest in a Boom product becoming a weapons platform at this time. From: https://simpleflying.com/xb-1-first-flight/ https://simpleflying.com/xb-1-first-flight/ More broadly, supersonic missiles and fighter jets already exist. > Rich people and nation states will pay through the nose See "How much will tickets cost?" from the FAQ. Business class pricing seems eminently reasonable for this service. > [W]asteful and extremely obnoxious technologies that degrade humanity as a whole See "How is Boom dealing with the sonic boom?" and "What steps is Boom taking to make supersonic travel environmentally sustainable?"
  - pclmulqdq 3y ago
    Whether the founder thinks there is a weapons angle and whether the market thinks there is a weapons angle are two different things. The founder often loses that fight.
    - benced 3y ago
      Agreed. However, OP said "their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states" which is, minimally, very overconfident.

ethbr1 3y ago

> I think there's a key, core military angle to this company, where their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states. Yes, but not in the way you think. No nation-state with an aerospace engine industry has difficulty making military aircraft go supersonic. Or just buying the same thing off the shelf. However, a lot of nation states have nationalized flag carrier airlines, that they heavily subsidize for prestige reasons. These are the same carriers who were able to afford Concorde, and they're exactly who Boom will be initially selling to.

ImaCake 3y ago
Airlines are also an interface for intelligence agencies and presumably a whole bunch of subtle geopolitical stuff. Great way to move your agents around, and you can run operations from the airline's local office.

mlindner 3y ago

> extremely obnoxious technologies that degrade humanity as a whole What's your angle here? Jet aircraft aren't going away in the era we're heading into. We're just going to move to sustainably produced fuels from either biomass or direct carbon capture powered by solar. So there's no reason to make that as an argument against Boom.