Supersonic air travel has been impossible for the people ever since the Concorde was grounded. While there are efforts to bring back supersonic passenger jets, two companies are working to develop a supersonic business jet for those who can afford to fly private. The companies working on this ambitious project are Lockheed Martin and Aerion. They have formed a partnership to develop the first supersonic business jet in the world.
Aerion has been working on the idea for its AS2 supersonic business jet since the past few years. It previously collaborated with Airbus for the aerodynamics and structural design. The company then teamed up with GE for the development of a supersonic engine.
The company has now inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Lockheed Martin. Both companies will work together to complete the future phases of development on this supersonic business jet ranging from engineering to production.
“Following our initial review of Aerion’s aerodynamic technology, our conclusion is that the Aerion AS2 concept warrants the further investment of our time and resources,” said Orlando Carvalho, Executive Vice President for Lockheed Martin.
It’s going to be a while before the world’s first supersonic business jet is ready for its first flight. Aerion predicts that it will be able to achieve that milestone by 2023.
It’s unclear how much the jet will cost once it clears all the hurdles to become a reality. It goes without saying that unless you’re in the 1 percent, you probably won’t be catching a ride on it anytime soon.
Filed in .. Source: newatlas