Blake Scholl announced a $100,000 prize split between cash and Boom Supersonic stock for the first amateur-built RC plane to top Mach 1, reacting directly to a Georgia Tech student's recent claim of flying a 500 mph turbojet model called Reaper from a dorm room.
Boom will be offering a prize—$50k cash and $50k in Boom stock—for the first amateur-built RC airplane to exceed Mach 1.
Since February, I've designed and built the world's fastest RC airplane in my college dorm, and that’s not clickbait. Reaper has a 5kg carbon-fiber frame, 250N turbojet, and flies at 500mph. New to X and will be going through the whole build here in the coming days.
#aerospace
No information has surfaced yet on how entries will be judged, what qualifies as amateur-built, or any timeline for claims.
Half the prize comes as Boom shares whose value, transfer rules, or tax treatment remain unaddressed in the announcement.
Many users are excited by Boom's $100k prize for the first amateur-built supersonic RC plane because it sparks builder creativity and competition, while some call the amount too small for the effort and risk involved.
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Love this energy
Boom will be offering a prize—$50k cash and $50k in Boom stock—for the first amateur-built RC airplane to exceed Mach 1.
@bscholl The prize isn’t really for building the fastest RC airplane. It’s for becoming the first person to make the transonic regime boring 🥱
@NominalJoe The speed of light is much faster than the speed of sound. Radios work just fine.
@bscholl I don't understand how you could maintain remote control at that speed.
@bscholl @boomsupersonic Better put some level flight rules and altitudes constraints on that. Amateur rockets go much faster.
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Boom will be offering a prize—$50k cash and $50k in Boom stock—for the first amateur-built RC airplane to exceed Mach 1.
@bscholl @boomsupersonic Cool 😎 challenge I contribute additionally $25,000 for the first amateur-built RC airplane to exceed Mach 1 without creating a sonic boom 💥
@bscholl does it need to have active propulsion
@DJSnM @boomsupersonic Yes. Airplane != rocket
@bscholl does that include mach 1 in a dive?
@bscholl @boomsupersonic
@jonwithno_h @bscholl Bruh, it's never been a better time to have a home shop. With all the resources like @sendcutsend @OSHCutInc home shops have never been better equipped to handle this challenge.
@bscholl @grok how do I build a Mach 1.01 RC airplane to win this price? make no mistakes
@bscholl Amateur-built? Exceeding Mach 1? Somehow I don't think garage workshops can handle the kind of airframe stress transsonic flight creates.
@bscholl not sure if the compensation for 1st place is enough. Minimum required afterburner engine for this is $18,000 just for the parts alone (assuming the most optimal thrust to weight ratio) and given the speed reps - the structure would have to be substantially heavier than 5kg
@bscholl Some proposed rules: 1) Takeoff must occur from a level, ground-based runway (no catapults, rocket sleds, or airborne deployment).
2) The aircraft must take off under its own power and using its own onboard propulsion system.
@DJSnM @bscholl @boomsupersonic I think a good rule would be: level flight, specified altitude, and achieve it multiple times in a single flight.
@bscholl Does it have to be air breathing?
@bscholl Assuming solid fuels (eg ramrocket) are out, this is the roadmap for a modified turbojet with high-output fuel afterburner & de Laval nozzle extension:
@oaw117 @DJSnM @bscholl @boomsupersonic yeah too bad, i’d like to fly my pulsejet-to-ramjet idea.
