Return to Supersonic Commercial Flight in 2015

by


The Aerion Supersonic Jet has test flights planned for 2012.

– Aerion Supersonic Jet will fly New York to Paris flights in four hours and 15 minutes versus about seven and a half hours in existing subsonic models. The SBJ will fly coast to coast U.S. at speeds up to .99 Mach in less than four hours.
– The aircraft’s top speed of Mach 1.6 eliminates the requirement for special high-temperature materials.
– the Aerion jet can be operated over many land masses at speeds above Mach 1. Over certain national or regional corridors, including parts of Canada, Australia and Siberia, the aircraft can fly at unrestricted speeds up to its maximum speed of Mach 1.6. And in other regions governed by ICAO regulations, the aircraft is capable of operating at boomless cruise speeds up to Mach 1.15.
– Aerion’s new design has operating costs comparable to today’s large business jets.
– It is expected to cost 47.5 million pounds
– Aerion has teamed with Pratt & Whitney to adapt the latest generation of the proven and ubiquitous JT8D engine for the supersonic business jet. The JT8D to be employed on the SBJ will incorporate some of the recently developed and patented noise suppression technology to achieve Stage 4 noise requirements.


Maximum cruise speed: 1.6 Mach 
Long range cruise (supersonic): 1.5 Mach 
No boom cruise (supersonic): ~1.1 to 1.2 Mach 
High speed cruise (subsonic): .99 Mach 
Long range cruise (subsonic): .95 Mach 
Maximum takeoff weight: 90,000 pounds 
Basic operating weight: 45,100 pounds 
Maximum fuel: 45,400 pounds 
Engines: Two PW JT8D-219 
Thrust: Flat rated to 19,600 
Wing area: 1,200 sq. ft. 
Approach speed: 120 kts* 
Balanced Field length < 6,000 feet 
Landing distance, wet runway: 3,460 feet 
Range (NBAA IFR): > 4,000 nm 
Ceiling: 51,000 feet

SAI’s Quiet Supersonic Transport
Supersonic Aerospace International LLC hired Lockheed Martin’s famed ’Skunk Works’ to design and build a revolutionary quiet supersonic passenger aircraft, known as “QSST.”


– QSST will be ready for flight in 2013, with certification for service and customer delivery in 2015.
– QSST can fly at speeds of Mach 1.6 to 1.8, which is 1056 to 1,188 miles per hour, with a non-stop range that will exceed 4,000 nautical miles, or over 4,600 statute miles.
– QSST’s projected price is expected to be $80 million (U.S.) per aircraft in today’s dollars.

FURTHER READING
Supersonic business jet at wikipedia