Airplane juggernaut Airbus has just announced it is teaming up with Aerion to create the world’s very first supersonic business jet. Considering the last time a supersonic commercial plane took to the skies was back in 2003 with the Concorde, this could serve as a major boost to the re-emergence of supersonic flight services.
Understandably, development of such a plane won’t be over in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact, Aerion is planning to begin test flights in 2019 before embarking on its first official commercial supersonic flight in 2021. Dubbed the Aerion AS2, it is hoped the jet will eventually reach production in limited numbers and for extremely wealthy clients. As a matter of fact, it could wear a $100 million sticker price.
From a speed front, the Aerion AS2 should be capable of reaching Mach 1.6 or just over 1200 mph with a cruising speed of Mach 1.1 or Mach 1.2. What this means is that a journey from London to New York could take just over four hours.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcqzWU-lwxc[/youtube]
Inside, the Aerion AS2 will seat 11 passengers and include a stateroom, shower and dining room.
