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Aerion Supersonic Business Jet
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TYPE (MUSTER)
Supersonic business jet (Überschall-Geschäftsreisejet)
COUNTRY (LAND)
USA
MANUFACTURER (HERSTELLER)
Aerion Corp
1325 Airmotive Way, Suite 370
Reno, NV 89502-3295
USA
Phone: 001-775/337-6682
Fax: 001-775/337-6689
Internet: www.aerioncorp.com
GENERAL (ALLGENEINE ANGABEN)
Crew (Besatzung): 2
Passengers (Passagiere): 8 – 12
Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219
Thrust (Schub): 2 x 87,1 kN (19600 lbs) flat rating
TBO: 3000 hours
DIMENSIONS (ABMESUNGEN)
Length (Länge): 45,18 m
Height (Höhe): 7,08 m
Span (Spannweite): 19,56 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 111,5 sq m
Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 9,14 m
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 1,88 m maximum
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 1,95 m maximum
WEIGHTS (MASSEN)
Basic operating weight (Leermasse): 20460 kg
Maximum fuel (max. Kraftstoff): 20590 kg in fuselage tanks
Max. take-off weight (max. Startmasse): 40825 kg
PERFORMANCE (FLUGLEISTUNGEN)
Maximum cruise speed (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit): Mach 1.6
Long-range cruise speed (Langstrecken-Reisegeschw.): Mach 1.5
No boom cruise (Reisegeschwindigkeit ohne Überschallknall): about Mach 1.1 – 1.2
High speed cruise (Unterschall-Reisegschwindigkeit): Mach 0.99
Landing speed (Landegeschwindigkeit): 222 km/h
Service ceiling (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 51000 ft (15545 m)
Take-off balanced field length (Startstrecke): 1830 m at ISA, sea level
Landing distance (Landestrecke): 1055 m
Range (Reichweite): 7400 km at Mach 1.5
Flight times (Flugzeiten):
New York - Paris in 4 h 15 min
Frankfurt – Chicago in 6 h 7 min, including subsonic portions over land
New York – Rome in 5 h 36 min, including subsonic portions
COSTS (KOSTEN)
In 2007, Aerion, through its distributor ExecuJet, offered the Supersonic Business Jet at 80 million US-Dollars.
A price of less than 80 million US-Dollars was mentioned at the time of the first presentation in 2004
At the NBAA in September 2007, Aerion said that a five-year development programme from formal launch would cost about 2,2 billion US-Dollars..
Development costs were put at 1,2 – 1,4 billion US-Dollars in October 2004.
Aerion mentioned operating expenses of 8 US-Dollars per NM in October 2004, which is in line with other business jets.
CUSTOMERS (KUNDEN)
Aerion started to take orders for the Supersonic Business Jet at the Dubai Air Show in November 2007. Known customers are:
# Sheik Rashid Bin Humaid Al Noaimi, Head of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department (letter of intent).
In mid-2005, Aerion said that market studies had indicated a sales potential of 220 to 260 jets over a ten year period, or 500 over 20 years.
At the time of the first presentation, Aerion was working on the basis on a nominal 300 airplane market over 10 years, with 40 to 50 per cent of those going to fractional ownership companies.
COMPETITION (KONKURRENZ)
Supersonic Aerospace International QSST
REMARKS (BEMERKUNGEN)
Aerion´s design philosophy is to utilize demonstrated technologies and to minimize complexity. Features of the Aerion Supersonic Business Jet include:
- patented supersonic natural laminar flow technology on the wing, which reduces drag by around 20 per cent versus a delta wing. The Supersonic Business Jet wing has a sharp leading edge, and a thin, modified bi-convex airfoil.
- design for low boom signatures
- wings made from carbon fibre composites (except titanium leading edge) for the required level of stiffness of the very thin profile
- fuselage in conventional aluminium alloy construction
- JT8D-219 engine meeting Stag IV nose requirements
- fly-by-wire control system
Aerion is backed by Texan billionaire Robert Bass.
HISTORY (GESCHICHTE)
Aerion was formed in 2002. It began a 20 month feasibility study for a supersonic business jet in January 2004.
Aerion unveiled its plans to develop a supersonic business jet during a news conference on 11 October 2004, on the eve of the NBAA annual convention in Las Vegas. At that time „Aerion's engineers have been at work for many years developing the fundamental technologies“ for the new SBJ, said Brian Barents, vice chairman for Aerion and former CEO for Learjet. Work to that date included: in-flight testing of a supersonic natural laminar flow wing section; finite element analysis; engine/airframe integration studies; initial system design; computational flzuid dynamics analysis.
At Las Vegas it was said that by summer of 2005 Aerion wants to complete a second design cycle including high- and low-speed windtunnel tests. Aerion expected to spend the next year and a half talking with major airframe manufacturers and first-tier suppliers to establish risk-sharing partnerships to conduct detailed design, testing and certification. The company said the new jet could enter service in less than six years. Two ground-test vehicles and three flying prototypes would be built. Service entry could come as early as 2011, it was said at NBAA.
In the first half of 2005, Aerion comducted a series of windtunnel tests with an 8% model. This led to some design changes like a reprofiled nose and a new horizontal stabilizer.
At the Paris Air Show in mid-June 2005, Aerion unveiled cabin floor options for the Supersonic Business Jet. It also said that a very sophisticated market study had shown potential sales of 220 to 260 jets over a ten year period. Production over a 20 year life could exceed 500 units.
Pratt & Whitney completed its “system level 0” review for the powerplant on 4 November 2005, allowing it to continue work on further refinements of the JT8D-219.
At the NBAA convention in Orlando on 8 November 2005, Aerion said that it had completed its Phase I design program, which included extensive windtunnel tests and computer analysis. A list of design changes was outlined, including the switch to a cruziform tail, the use of flaps as flaperons for roll control and significant changes to the engine nacelles.
In 2006, Aerion conducted three sled tests with a half wing, which was accelerated to Mach 1.5. These tests were inteded to provide data on the laminar flow beahviour and to validate design tools.
At the NBAA conventionin Orlando on 16 October 2006, Aerion said that its engineers were continuing to refine and test the design to present better data to possible partners. Also, the work on a convincing business case continued. The company had held talks with majro aerospace firmas as well as government agencies on three continents.
Aerion announced on 11 November 2007, at the opening of the Dubai AirShow, that it was opening the order book for its innovative Aerion jet, appointing Zurich, Switzerland ExecuJet as its international sales agent outside the Americas. On behalf of Aerion, ExecuJet was offering 40 early delivery positions to customers for a per-aircraft launch price of US$80 million in 2007 dollars.
On 14 November 2007, Aerion said it had taken a letter of intent for its supersonic business jet from Shk. Rashid Bin Humaid Al Noaimi, Head of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department. Rumours also had it that Dr. Tarek bin Laden of Saudi Arabia was ready to order the plane.
At Dubai, Aerion also reiterated that to formally launch the program and begin construction, it was seeking to recruit a well regarded aircraft manufacturer to serve as program integrator. Aerion was in discussions with candidate companies and anticipated an agreement within the first half of 2008. That would allow the Aerion supersonic jet to enter service as soon as 2014.
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