Aerion AS2 Supersonic Business Jet Image Credit:Aerion Airbus and Aerion Corporation have agreed to collaborate on supersonic aircraft t...
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| Aerion AS2 Supersonic Business Jet Image Credit:Aerion |
Airbus and Aerion Corporation have agreed to collaborate on supersonic aircraft technology for mutual benefit.
Both the companies will exchange their knowledge and capabilities in design, manufacturing and certification.
The collaboration will allow Aerion to advance the development and commercialization of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet.
Under the agreement, Airbus Group, through its Defence and Space division, will provide technical and certification support, which will include the assignment of senior engineering staff for the development of AS2 at Aerion's Reno, Nevada facility.
In return, Aerion will provide proprietary technology and assistance to Airbus Group in its high-performance aircraft technology development.
Aerion is targeting first flight of the AS2 in 2019 and certification in 2021. The Mach 1.6 speed capable AS2 will seat 12 passengers.
Key technology enabling the supersonic flight is the natural laminar flow wing. A supersonic natural laminar flow wing differs from earlier supersonic designs, such as the retired Concorde's modified delta wing.
The wing is relatively straight (low sweep), wide and very thin, allowing to achieve laminar flow over as much as 90 percent of its surface. Laminar flow reduces skin friction drag, which can reduce overall airframe drag by as much as 20 percent, allowing for lower fuel consumption and longer range.
Aerion has worked closely with NASA to test representative supersonic laminar flow airfoils in flight with great success, and has also conducted successful tests in the European Transonic Wind Tunnel, widely acknowledged as the most advanced of its type in the world.
Full airframe wind tunnel models have been tested in the University of Washington wind tunnel complex. Moreover, Aerion has developed proprietary computer design tools that have helped it refine the aircraft¡¯s aerodynamic configuration.
The AS2 will have a range of more than 5,450 statute miles (4,750 nautical miles), connecting cities such as London and Seattle or San Francisco and Tokyo nonstop.
Over water, it will cruise at speeds between Mach 1.4 and 1.6, almost twice the speed of today's fastest civil jets. In areas where supersonic speed is prohibited (mainly over the U.S.), the AS2 will cruise efficiently at speeds up to Mach 0.99, just under the speed of sound. In other populated areas, it can cruise at speeds up to Mach 1.2 without a sonic boom reaching the ground.
