Airbus Partners With Aerion To Launch Supersonic Business Jet
- 10 years ago
If you want to travel to a different country, one thing you’ll have to deal with is an extra-long flight. In the future, however, that travel time may be greatly reduced, if staffers at Aerion Corporation and Airbus have their way.
The Concorde may have retired from service more than a decade ago, but international travelers still wish for the return of supersonic flight. Thanks to a new collaboration between Aerion Corporation and Airbus Group, they may not have to wait too much longer.
The two companies have partnered up to further the development of the Aerion AS2, a supersonic business jet.
When completed the AS2 will fly at more than 12 hundred miles per hour or Mach 1.6. The specialized wings are said to reduce drag by about 20 percent, leading to a greater fuel efficiency and longer range.
Up to 12 passengers can sit comfortably in the 30 foot long cabin. Aerion’s goal is to begin flight testing in 2019, with certification anticipated in 2021, and the first delivery occurring the following year.
As part of the collaboration, Airbus Group, specifically its Defence and Space division, will assist in the technology and certification departments. Staffers from both companies will work together in Nevada at Aerion’s headquarters.
Aerion CEO Doug Nichols remarked “This agreement accomplishes two major objectives. It provides validation from the industry leader in aerospace innovation, and it decisively kicks the program into high gear."
The Concorde may have retired from service more than a decade ago, but international travelers still wish for the return of supersonic flight. Thanks to a new collaboration between Aerion Corporation and Airbus Group, they may not have to wait too much longer.
The two companies have partnered up to further the development of the Aerion AS2, a supersonic business jet.
When completed the AS2 will fly at more than 12 hundred miles per hour or Mach 1.6. The specialized wings are said to reduce drag by about 20 percent, leading to a greater fuel efficiency and longer range.
Up to 12 passengers can sit comfortably in the 30 foot long cabin. Aerion’s goal is to begin flight testing in 2019, with certification anticipated in 2021, and the first delivery occurring the following year.
As part of the collaboration, Airbus Group, specifically its Defence and Space division, will assist in the technology and certification departments. Staffers from both companies will work together in Nevada at Aerion’s headquarters.
Aerion CEO Doug Nichols remarked “This agreement accomplishes two major objectives. It provides validation from the industry leader in aerospace innovation, and it decisively kicks the program into high gear."