Reuters reports that Aerion “said on Wednesday Berkshire Hathaway’s private aircraft firm, NetJets, has obtained purchase rights for 20 of its AS2 business jets.” The AS2 “will be powered by engineered synthetic fuel and can reach supersonic speeds of up to Mach 1.4, or about 1,000 miles (1,610 km) per hour, which is 150% faster than conventional business jets, Aerion said.” Aerion, which is backed by The Boeing Company, now has a “global order backlog for the AS2…valued at more than $10 billion.”
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Tag: AS2
Aerion Announces Details for 50-Passenger AS3
Aviation International News reports that Aerion announced the initial details for its second aircraft Monday. More details on the 50-passenger Mach 4-plus AS3 are expected later this year, but Aerion “sketched out a goal of reaching near-hypersonic speeds and a 7,000-nm range.” The company projects the aircraft to fly before the end of the decade and said that it would build on the AS2, which is anticipated to be in service by then. According to Aerion, the AS3 will benefit from the company’s ongoing partnership with NASA’s Langley Research Center.
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Aerion Begins Wind Tunnel Testing of Its AS2 Supersonic Jet
Aviation International News reports that Aerion Supersonic announced that it has begun wind tunnel tests of its AS2 business jet. The tests “will subject the aircraft design to more than three times the speed of sound, Aerion said. Testing will be used to evaluate high-speed performance, loads, stability, and control at both transonic and supersonic velocities.” The tests are “a significant step” for Aerion, which is attempting to reach the preliminary design review milestone for the plane in 2021.
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BAE Systems to Provide Flight Control System for Aerion AS2 Supersonic Jet
ExecutiveGov reports that Aerion Supersonic “has awarded BAE Systems a contract to provide the flight control system for Aerion’s AS2 supersonic business jet, BAE Systems reported on Wednesday.” BAE Systems “will design, develop and integrate a fly-by-wire flight control system, including active inceptors, for the aircraft.” The “flight system will comprise active inceptors, primary flight control computers, actuator control units and remote electronics units.” BAE Systems’ “active inceptors will provide AS2 pilots with static and dynamic tactile force feedback, and will include electronic controlled actuators that send tactile feedback to the pilot through the flight stick. The feedback will warn pilots of structural or aerodynamic operating limits, improving situational awareness to maintain a safer, more stable flight.”
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New FAA Rules Open Door for Tests of Supersonic Jets
Bloomberg reports that on Wednesday, the FAA announced that it will ease the requirements for companies to receive permission to conduct supersonic test flights, which are currently prohibited over land. Several companies, such as Aerion Corp. and Boom Technologies, plan to develop jets capable of supersonic flight, “but concerns remain over sonic booms and other environmental issues.” Aerion Chairman and CEO Tom Vice called the new rules “a significant milestone in the development of civil supersonic flight.” Boom said, “We welcome the FAA’s interest in clarifying supersonic test flight rules.” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said, “Today’s action is a significant step toward reintroducing civil supersonic flight and demonstrates the department’s commitment to safe innovation.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)