Hearkening back to the design of the late Concorde commercial supersonic jet, Aerion Corporation's concept is more compact and efficient, squeezing less than a dozen seats into a cozy cabin. With a range and efficiency typical of many conventional business aircraft, Aerion's design will be able to return a significant cost savings as a function of travel time. A flight between Chicago and London, for example, would have four hours shaved off the journey and should yield similar costs to a conventionally operated mission.
Aerion's vehicle, which is still in the conceptual stages, will travel at maximum speeds of around Mach 1.6 (or 1.6 times the speed of sound) taking advantage of ultra laminar flow through the engines for propulsion. Facets of the design, including the sleek cabin and the pointed nose are directly reminiscent of the Concorde, while the short wingspan and engine layout are more unique in nature.
The technology shows great promise, but when will we actually see this on the market? According to Jason Matisheck, Business Manager and Test Manager, the company is deep in the development of the aircraft with significant funding and plans for flight testing in 2019. If all goes well, he expects the aircraft to enter the market in 2021. There is no estimate in cost yet, but you can bet it will cost a pretty penny. And if everything works out, business travelers may once more be able to look forward to supersonic travel.
