Airbus backed supersonic ‘Son of Concorde’ could be flying by 2021

“This undertaking is completely in line with Airbus Group’s legacy of developing innovations in flight”, said McArtor, “such as our current work on the Perlan Mission II glider – the world’s first engineless aircraft created to reach the edge of space – which made its successful first flight recently, and the E-Fan technology demonstrator – which this summer became the first fully electric, twin-engine aircraft taking off under its own power to fly across the English Channel”.

During its time in service Concorde, which was partly developed in Filton, was capable of crossing the Atlantic at half the time of other planes.

With a new timeline for entry into service and a “firm” order, and support from Airbus, the Aerion AS2 faster than sound corporate jet appears to be edging closer to reality.

AerionAerion’s AS2 supersonic business jet.

Airbus employs 6,000 at its factory at Broughton in Flintshire.

“Sparkle Roll knows our market, knows the customer base for the AS2 and will play a key role in introducing routine supersonic flight in China and beyond”, declared Barents.

The “Son of Concorde” would allow passengers to travel between London and NY in just three hours, and Los Angeles to Tokyo in six. “We are pleased to be the first fleet purchaser of the Aerion AS2 and to be able to offer supersonic, intercontinental flight capabilities to our Owners”, said Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci.

In terms of what is already done, the teams have completed initial designs to the wing structure, fuselage and fuel system.

The majority of long-haul passenger jets fly at a cruising speed between 560 miles per hour and 480 miles per hour.

Airbus will provide major components and Aerion will do the final assembly, the companies said in the statement released at the National Business Aviation Association trade show in Las Vegas. The project is expected to cost more than $100 million in total.

The design of the plane – which could take off in six years time – is hoped to quieten the sonic booms when it breaks the sound barrier.

Aerion has not yet chosen a supplier for the plane’s engine, said CEO Doug Nichols, although, he said, “solutions are in sight with today’s engine technology”. But the technical challenges are formidable, and exploring and overcoming them in an aircraft of the scale of the AS2 may prove very important to future large scale more commercially relevant high speed airliners.