Prestwick Branch 2027 McIntyre Lecture: From Concorde to Boom Supersonic - The history and future of supersonic air transport

The 2027 McIntyre Lecture will provide a unique insight into the future of supersonic air transport. Concorde was a truly remarkable aircraft that, for over 27 years, allowed civil passengers to experience flying at speeds up to Mach 2. However, Concorde faced significant limitations, particularly its inability to fly supersonic over land due to sonic boom restrictions. After a tragic crash in July 2000 and a brief return to service, Concorde was eventually retired.

Several attempts have been made to develop new civil supersonic aircraft, encompassing both business jets and airliners, which this lecture will explore in detail. One credible successor to Concorde has emerged: Overture, developed by Boom Supersonic. Despite not yet being built, Overture has already secured 130 orders from major airlines. In 2025, the XB-1 (a one-third scale supersonic demonstrator) achieved a top speed of Mach 1.18 with no perceptible sonic boom at ground level.

Professor Richard Parker CBE FREng FRAeS, an advisor to Boom Supersonic, will present the fascinating story of aircraft and engine development to date. The lecture will be held on 16 March 2027 at Lecture Theatre 2, Ayr Campus, University of the West of Scotland. Registration begins at 18:00, with the lecture running from 19:00 to 21:30 GMT. This is an in-person event.