Find out more about Aerion AS2 Supersonic Business Jet! Aerion (Aerion Corporation of Reno develops advanced technology jets intended to be efficient, practical and supersonic) plans to have the AS2, a business jet that will be able to fly Mach 1.5 (1,150 miles per hour), faster than the speed of sound, ready for flight by 2021. The Concorde was retired in 2003, so no passenger airplane currently flies the speed of sound.
It will have a supersonic range of 4,750 nautical miles, meaning it could fly from San Francisco to London at the speed of sound
It could get you from London to New York in 4 hours and 24 minutes. It takes a normal jet about 7 hours to make that trip
Flying at subsonic speeds — Mach 0.95 — it will have a range of 5,300 nautical miles
The AS2 is powered by three jet engines
The cabin of the AS2 can be configured to seat between 8 and 12 passengers
The AS2 has a short wingspan but a long body
Its wingspan is 61 feet. Its length is 170 feet
The body will be made most of carbon fiber
Aerion is working with Airbus to manufacture the AS2. The AS2 will be engineered and built by both Aerion and Airbus Group. Aerion will provide software and design and Airbus will handle the engineering, procurement and supply chain management, logistics planning, program management, and government relations. Regulations prevent airplanes from operating at supersonic speeds over the US, but Aerion thinks that “Boomless Cruise” could prompt countries to change regulations. Aerion says the AS2 will be able to take off from and land at most business airports.
