The AS2 jet will be able to travel at speeds up to Mach 1.6. (Photo: Aerion)
Have you ever dreamed of flying
from New York to London in just three hours? That dream may become a
reality with the development of what will be the world’s fastest
business jet.
The U.S.-based Aerospace firm Aerion, is partnering with Airbus
to create a business jet that will fly at 1,217 mph. The Aerion AS2 is a
Mach 1.6 supersonic business jet, and uses a laminar flow wing to
achieve its amazing speed.
Over water, the AS2 will cruise
at speeds between Mach 1.4 and 1.6, which is twice as fast as today’s
civil jets. That will get you from New York to London in three hours, or
from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just six.
We haven’t seen velocity
like this since the Concorde, which traveled at 1,350 mph and was able
to make it from New York City to London in just three hours. That
supersonic jet was retired in 2003 after seeing a decrease in
passengers.
The AS2 sits 12 passengers (Photo: Aerion)
Supersonic speed is prohibited
over the United States, so the AS2 will also have the ability to fly at
just under the speed of sound, or around 754 mph.
The AS2 is the product of
more than a decade of research, and Aerion even tested the laminar flow
airfoils with NASA. The technology reduces airframe drag by 20 percent,
therefore allowing for lower fuel consumption and longer range. And the
AS2 will be able to go the distance. The jet will be able to fly more
than 5,450 statute miles, meaning that it can connect cities like London
and Seattle or San Francisco and Toyko with a nonstop flight.
The projected price tag for the AS2 hovers around $100 million.
Aerion hopes to begin test flights by 2019.
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