Blake Scholl: Why Plane Speed Stalled, Supersonic Commercial Flight, & Revolutionizing the Engine
Episode Details
In a recent episode of the All-In Podcast, co-host Jason Calacanis and others welcomed Blake Scholl, the founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. Scholl discussed his company's mission to bring back commercial Supersonic flight. He contrasted his nimble startup against legacy giants like Boeing, which he criticized for a lack of innovation over the last 20 years. Scholl recalled that even Jeff Bezos originally passed on investing in his seed round, writing in an Amazon shareholder letter that a garage startup could not build a composite airliner. However, proving the skeptics wrong and invoking the historical spirit of aerospace achievement with the phrase "Houston, we have a problem," Scholl highlighted his team's breakthroughs. With only 50 employees, they successfully built and flew the XB1, making it the first privately developed supersonic jet. The test flight was live-streamed using a supersonic installation of Starlink. To solve the historical challenge of the destructive Sonic boom—the issue that ultimately led to the demise of the Concorde—Boom implemented a technique called Boomless cruise, also known by aerospace engineers as Mach cutoff. This method directs the sound upward so it never reaches the ground. This technological success triggered rapid regulatory support. Following a swift invitation to the White House and placing a model of their aircraft in the Oval Office, the Biden Administration signed one of their recent Executive Orders to end the 1973 civilian ban on supersonic flight. Demonstrating remarkable Bipartisanship, the comprehensive Supersonic Legalization Act passed unanimously in The House and is currently advancing through The Senate of the US Congress. Scholl also detailed Boom's strategic business pivots. After a public split with legacy engine maker Rolls-Royce, Boom abandoned the traditional model of Outsourcing. Instead, they fully embraced Vertical Integration. By leveraging cutting-edge Digital design tools and Digital manufacturing, Boom successfully designed their own Jet engine core from scratch. Because this core is built to run incredibly hot at speeds of Mach 1.7 without water cooling, it has found a highly lucrative alternative application: powering Data centers for AI. When asked if tech billionaire Elon Musk was interested in this technology for his massive Colossus supercomputer, Scholl hinted at ongoing discussions. This pivot aligns with national goals of Re-industrialization and bolstering advanced Manufacturing in America, ensuring that critical technologies aren't lost to competitors like China. To scale this engine production, Boom is constructing a state-of-the-art Turbine factory. Looking toward the future of commercial travel, Boom's flagship passenger airliner, Overture, aims to revolutionize global transit. The aircraft will connect major hubs like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in fractions of the current flight time, with major carriers like United Airlines poised to profit. Eventually, this technology will expand into the Private aviation sector, directly challenging legacy business jets like Gulfstream and the Dassault Falcon. Scholl even foresees the president eventually flying on a supersonic Air Force One. Ultimately, Scholl hopes to inspire a new generation—much like SpaceX does with rockets—creating a world where distant destinations like Sydney are as accessible as Honolulu is today.
This episode features Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, discussing the revival of commercial supersonic flight. Key themes include technological innovation in overcoming sonic boom challenges, the company's pivot to vertical integration for engine manufacturing, and the dual application of this technology for data centers powering AI. The discussion highlights regulatory progress, bipartisan support for supersonic travel, and the long-term vision for making air travel dramatically more accessible.
Portfolio lens: A basket of disruptive aerospace and energy technologies driven by advanced manufacturing and innovation.
Generated with gemini-2.5-flash-lite on 9/28/2026, 4:48:03 AM. For research only. Not financial advice.Boom Supersonic - Commercializing Supersonic Flight
Boom Supersonic's technological advancements in 'boomless cruise' and vertical engine integration position it to successfully reintroduce commercial supersonic travel, creating a new market segment and disrupting existing air travel.
The episode details Boom's successful XB1 test flight, the development of 'boomless cruise' technology to mitigate sonic booms, and regulatory progress with the Supersonic Legalization Act. The company's vertical integration for engine design and manufacturing, including a pivot to data center power generation, provides a strong financial and technological foundation.
- Boom became the first private company ever to build a supersonic jet with just 50 people.
- The XB1 test flight demonstrated 'boomless cruise' (Mach cutoff) to direct sonic booms upward.
- The Biden Administration signed an Executive Order to end the 1973 civilian ban on supersonic flight.
- The Supersonic Legalization Act passed the House unanimously and is advancing through the Senate.
- Boom is vertically integrating engine development and manufacturing, designing its own jet engine core.
- The engine core has a lucrative application for powering data centers for AI due to its ability to run hot without water cooling.
- Boom is constructing a state-of-the-art turbine factory for scaled engine production.
- Successful certification and entry into service of the Overture aircraft.
- Continued bipartisan legislative support and final passage of the Supersonic Legalization Act.
- Securing additional major airline orders beyond the initial 130.
- Demonstrating profitability and scalability of the data center power generation business.
- Positive advancements in the development and testing of their proprietary jet engine.
- High capital requirements for aircraft development, manufacturing, and certification.
- Potential for unforeseen technological hurdles or delays in aircraft development.
- Competition from legacy aerospace manufacturers if they decide to enter the supersonic market.
- Economic downturns impacting consumer willingness to pay a premium for faster travel.
- Regulatory challenges or delays in obtaining full FAA certification for the Overture.
- Review Boom Supersonic's latest financial filings and funding rounds.
- Track progress on Overture's development milestones and certification timeline.
- Analyze the competitive landscape for supersonic aircraft and potential new entrants.
- Assess the market demand and pricing strategy for supersonic travel.
- Monitor regulatory developments and the progress of the Supersonic Legalization Act.
AI Data Center Power Generation - Supersonic Engine Technology
Boom Supersonic's proprietary jet engine core, designed for high-temperature supersonic flight, offers a unique, waterless power generation solution for the rapidly growing AI data center market.
The episode reveals that Boom's supersonic engine core, designed to run hot at Mach 1.7, can be repurposed for ground-based power generation for data centers. This application bypasses the need for water cooling, a significant advantage for data centers, and leverages the company's existing engine development.
- Boom's supersonic engine core is designed to run hot at Mach 1.7 without water cooling.
- By removing the fan and adding a generator, the engine can provide power generation.
- This technology can be packaged in trailers for deployable power generation.
- Boom is building a new turbine factory to scale engine production.
- There is 'tens of gigawatts of demand' in Blake Scholl's inbox for this technology.
- Blake Scholl hinted at discussions with Elon Musk regarding this technology for Colossus supercomputer.
- Successful deployment and operation of the first data center power generation units.
- Securing large-scale contracts with major data center operators or AI companies.
- Demonstrating cost-competitiveness and reliability compared to existing power solutions.
- Expansion of the data center power generation business to meet market demand.
- Potential partnerships with major tech players like those hinted at with Elon Musk.
- The technology is unproven in a commercial data center power generation context.
- Competition from established power generation companies and alternative cooling technologies for data centers.
- Scalability challenges in manufacturing and deploying these specialized engine units.
- Regulatory hurdles related to ground-based power generation and emissions.
- The primary focus may remain on the supersonic aircraft, potentially diverting resources from this secondary business.
- Investigate the specific technical specifications and efficiency of the engine for power generation.
- Identify potential customers and the scale of their power needs.
- Analyze the competitive landscape for data center power solutions, including waterless cooling technologies.
- Understand the regulatory framework for distributed power generation using turbine technology.
- Track Boom's progress in testing and deploying these units for data centers.
Watchlist
- Boom Supersonic's XB1 test flight results and subsequent regulatory approvals.
- Progress on the Supersonic Legalization Act in the US Senate.
- Announcements of new Overture aircraft orders from airlines.
- Development milestones for Boom's proprietary jet engine core.
- Deployment and performance data for Boom's data center power generation units.
- Regulatory decisions regarding supersonic flight certification.
Open Questions
- What is the projected cost per seat for supersonic flights on the Overture?
- What is the specific timeline for Overture's FAA certification and entry into commercial service?
- How will Boom Supersonic manage the significant capital expenditure required for aircraft production?
- What are the detailed unit economics of the data center power generation business?
- Are there any potential environmental concerns with the 'boomless cruise' technology at scale?
- What is the long-term strategy for competing in the private aviation sector with supersonic jets?
Key Topics & People
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Host of the All-In Podcast and angel investor.
A business strategy utilized by Neko Health to control the entire patient experience, from clinics to software.
A popular technology and business podcast where industry leaders discuss startups, economy, and global events.
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Critical infrastructure for AI compute, increasingly viewed as national security assets requiring massive energy generation.
The executive branch of the US government that hosted the Super Intelligence Summit.
The largest city in California, characterized in the discussion by high crime, bureaucratic dysfunction, and infrastructure failures.
Passenger travel at speeds faster than sound.
The founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic.
The loud noise created by breaking the sound barrier, which historically blocked supersonic flight.
A technique using atmospheric refraction to direct sonic booms upward.
The US President's office, which now features a model of Boom's jet.
The technical aerospace term for the boomless cruise technique.
Legacy engine manufacturer that Boom parted ways with.
Legislation aimed at permanently lifting the ban on commercial supersonic flight.
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The legacy business strategy that Boom abandoned to build engines in-house.
The central power generation unit developed by Boom.
Advanced software systems used by Boom to reinvent jet engine engineering.
Next-generation production methods allowing for complex proprietary parts creation.
Boom's manufacturing facility for their jet engines.
The sector of private flying which Boom hopes to eventually disrupt with supersonic options.
Legacy private jet manufacturer.
An airline that stands to make significant profits from supersonic routes.
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The US presidential aircraft, which Scholl envisions eventually becoming supersonic.
Major US city used as a benchmark for rapid travel from New York.
The concept of producing goods domestically using advanced technology.
The movement to build next-generation physical industries back in the United States.
The upper chamber of Congress, currently reviewing the supersonic legalization bill.
The political cooperation shown across party lines in passing the supersonic legalization acts.
Presidential directives, one of which ended the 1973 ban on supersonic flight.
The current US administration that issued an executive order lifting the supersonic ban.
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Founder of Amazon who passed on Boom's seed round.
An aerospace startup building supersonic passenger jets and advanced jet engines.