The Aerion supersonic business jet is designed to fly executives at twice the speed of today’s aircraft, while offering economy of operation comparable to conventional long-range business jets. The aircraft incorporates patented supersonic natural laminar flow (SNLF) technology that substantially reduces drag at supersonic as well as high-subsonic cruise speeds. This efficient design allows the development of an aircraft that can use existing power plant technology from Pratt & Whitney.

The Aerion jet will be fuel efficient at cruise speeds just below the speed of sound, allowing it to perform short- and long-haul overland missions with the same economies as today’s large business jets. Range at high subsonic speed is more than 4,500 nautical miles and range at supersonic speeds exceeds 4,000 nautical miles. The aircraft can therefore operate under today’s regulatory speed restrictions with better performance than current large jets and equivalent economics. The Aerion supersonic jet, for example, can cruise efficiently at speeds from .95 to .99 Mach over the continental U.S., where speeds are limited by regulation to below Mach 1.

Aerion’s design philosophy is to utilize demonstrated technologies and to minimize complexity. The Aerion SBJ therefore is designed to cruise efficiently at or below 51,000 feet, its certification limit. The aircraft’s wings will be made from carbon fiber composites for low weight at the required level of stiffness, employing construction methods and materials common on fighters and on recent civil aircraft. The aircraft’s top speed of Mach 1.6 eliminates the requirement for special high-temperature materials.