Supersonic Jet to Fly at Speed of Business

One of the more interesting airplane companies making news this week at the National Business Aircraft Association’s annual meeting isn’t actually making airplanes yet. Aerion Corporation is an ambitious group of people who want to produce a supersonic business jet. Aerion has been around for more than four years and continues to take deposits for the 8- to 12-seat aircraft it says will be capable of flying more than one and a half times faster than the speed of sound. The company has already received more than 50 deposits totaling more than $4 million. But it hasn’t found a manufacturing partner yet to help build the aircraft.
With the Concorde relegated to museums, there isn’t a supersonic aircraft available for anybody outside of the military who feels the need for speed. Currently the fastest business jet, the Cessna Citation X cruises at Mach .92. Aerion says there is a customer base for their Mach 1.6 aircraft that will be dramatically more efficient than other supersonic aircraft because of its unique laminar-flow wing design.
The current economic doldrums have slowed development of the $80 million jet, but Aerion remains optimistic with continued financial backing from investors. The company says it is in talks with aircraft makers in an effort to find a partner to manufacture the supersonic aircraft.
Aerion continues active development of the jet, expecting to certify the airplane by 2015. Recent wind-tunnel tests have bolstered the wing design critical to making the aircraft efficient at speeds above and below the speed of sound.
Current FAA regulations would limit the airplane to flying less than Mach 1.0 over the United States (pesky sonic booms being one of the issues). But Aerion says the jet will be able to cruise as efficiently as current business jets at speeds below the speed of sound when flying in U.S. airpsace. On a transoceanic flight however, pilots could push the throttles forward and cruise at speeds up to Mach 1.6, making the trip from New York to Paris in less than four and a half hours.
πηγή:wired
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