Aerion SBJ
{{Short description|Supersonic business jet project}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name= SBJ
|image= File:Aerion SBJ.jpg
|type= Supersonic business jet
|national_origin= United States
|designer= Aerion Corporation
|first_flight=
|introduction=
|retired=
|status= Cancelled
|primary_user=
|more_users=
|produced=
|number_built=
|unit cost= US$80 million (target cost)
|developed_from =
|developed_into = Aerion AS2
}}
The Aerion SBJ was a supersonic business jet project designed by American firm Aerion Corporation.
Unveiled in 2004, the designer sought a joint venture with a business aircraft manufacturer for a $1.2–1.4 billion development in 7–8 years.
Aerion received 50 letters-of-intent before enlarging the design as the Aerion AS2 in 2014.
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines, the $80 million aircraft was to transport 8–12 passengers up to Mach 1.6 and up to {{cvt|4,000|nmi|km}}.
Aerion abruptly announced on May 21, 2021 that it will be shutting down due to inability to raise capital.{{Cite web|last=Sheetz|first=Michael|date=2021-05-21|title=Aerion Supersonic shuts down, ending plans to build silent high speed business jets|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/21/aerion-supersonic-shuts-down-ending-plans-for-silent-business-jets.html|access-date=2021-05-21|website=CNBC|language=en |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210521230636/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/21/aerion-supersonic-shuts-down-ending-plans-for-silent-business-jets.html|archive-date= 21 May 2021|url-status= live}}
Development
In 2003, Aerion commenced a search for a large aerospace partner, including Bombardier Aerospace and Dassault Aviation.
The SBJ project was unveiled at the 2004 NBAA convention, backed by US billionaire Robert Bass, with introduction targeted at 2011 for a $1.2–1.4 billion development cost, anticipating a 250–300 aircraft civil market over 10 years.
Aerion then planned wind tunnel testing in the second half of 2005, before partnerships and detailed design.{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/nbaa-2004-las-vegas-witnesses-birth-of-supersonic-188921/ |title= NBAA 2004 - Las Vegas witnesses birth of supersonic gamble |date= 19 Oct 2004}}
Global Express lead designer John Holding joined Aerion in 2008 to lead advanced design.{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/boeing-s-aerion-investment-brings-supersonic-air-travel-step-closer |title= Boeing's Aerion Investment Brings Supersonic Air Travel A Step Closer |date= Feb 8, 2019 |author= Graham Warwick |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology |access-date= February 12, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190212023915/http://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/boeing-s-aerion-investment-brings-supersonic-air-travel-step-closer |archive-date= February 12, 2019 |url-status= live }}
By 2010, the company claimed 50 letters-of-intent.{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles//nbaa-aerion-gets-supersonic-test-results-348365 |date= 2010-10-18 | last =Doyle | first = Andrew |title = NBAA: Aerion gets supersonic test results |work= Flightglobal}}
By then, Aerion sought a joint venture with a business aircraft manufacturer for deliveries five to six years later.{{cite news | url = http://www.flyingmag.com/news/aerion-sbj | title = Aerion SBJ | newspaper = Flying Magazine | date = October 21, 2010 | author = Tom Benenson | access-date = October 31, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120106162328/http://www.flyingmag.com/news/aerion-sbj | archive-date = January 6, 2012 | url-status = live }}
In March 2012, UK-based Indigo Lyon joined Swiss ExecuJet Aviation Group as sales agents outside North America.{{cite press release |url= http://aerioncorp.com/uploads/press/34.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120427042539/http://aerioncorp.com/uploads/press/34.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= April 27, 2012 |title= Indigo Lyon selected as international sales representative for Aerion Supersonic Business Jet |publisher= Aerion |date= March 13, 2012}}
By October 2013, the company expected flight testing to begin in 2019, to reach market in 2021.{{cite news |last= Martin |first= Grant |title= The World's First Supersonic Business Jet Will Reach The Market In 2021 |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2013/10/31/the-worlds-first-supersonic-business-jet-will-fly-in-2021/ |date= Oct 31, 2013 |newspaper= Forbes |access-date= August 23, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180131152118/https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2013/10/31/the-worlds-first-supersonic-business-jet-will-fly-in-2021/ |archive-date= January 31, 2018 |url-status= live }}
Aerion believes that their design will find a market, despite the US ban on supersonic flight, whereas Gulfstream views the ban as prohibitive.{{cite news |author= Molly McMillin |url= http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article1129272.html |title= Need for speed drives efforts for supersonic business jet |work= The Wichita Eagle |date= 8 December 2013 |access-date= 12 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180619191510/http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article1129272.html |archive-date= 19 June 2018 |url-status= live }}
In 2014, the design was updated as the Aerion AS2, with length and takeoff weight increased to accommodate customer requests.{{cite web |author= Chad Trautvetter |url= https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2014-05-20/aerion-ssbj-now-trijet-bigger-cabin-more-range |title= Aerion SSBJ Now a Trijet with Bigger Cabin, More Range; Aviation International News |work= AIN online |date= 20 May 2014 |access-date= 25 September 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140926020811/http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2014-05-20/aerion-ssbj-now-trijet-bigger-cabin-more-range |archive-date= 26 September 2014 |url-status= live }}
Design
The $80 million aircraft would transport 8–12 passengers up to Mach 1.6 and up to {{cvt|4,000|nmi|km}}.
It would have a conventional aluminium fuselage and a composite supersonic natural laminar flow wing, with existing Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engine for a 40,800 kg (90,000 lb) gross-weight.
When necessary, it could also cruise efficiently just below the speed of sound at Mach .95-.99.{{cite news |url= http://www.ebanmagazine.com/mag_story.html?ident=7757 |title= Aerion's SBJ enters phase two of development |work= European Business Air News |date= 12 Jan 2005 |access-date= 12 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171124033257/http://www.ebanmagazine.com/mag_story.html?ident=7757 |archive-date= 24 November 2017 |url-status= live }}
If produced, it would allow practical non-stop travel from Europe to North America and back within one business day.
The Aerion SBJ's key enabling technology, supersonic natural Laminar flow, has been conclusively demonstrated in transonic wind tunnel tests and in supersonic flight tests conducted in conjunction with NASA.
In the summer of 2010, an Aerion-designed calibration fixture was tested aboard a NASA F-15B.{{Citation | url = http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/nbaa-aerion-gets-supersonic-test-results-348365/ | title = NBAA: Aerion gets supersonic test results | newspaper = Flight International | date = 18 Oct 2010}}
The experiments were intended to influence future laminar flow airfoil manufacturing standards for surface quality and assembly tolerances.{{Citation | url = http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ebace-convention-news/2012-05-12/aerion-steps-testing-supersonic-business-jet | title = Aerion Steps Up Testing for Supersonic Business Jet | newspaper = Aviation International News | date = May 12, 2012 | access-date = May 23, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120513211710/http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ebace-convention-news/2012-05-12/aerion-steps-testing-supersonic-business-jet | archive-date = May 13, 2012 | url-status = live }}{{Citation | url = http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/sblt_tests.html | title = Second Set of SBLT Tests Planned on NASA's F-15B | publisher = NASA | date = May 15, 2012 | place = Dryden | access-date = May 23, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120523144135/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/sblt_tests.html | archive-date = May 23, 2012 | url-status = live }}{{Citation | url = http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/nbaa-convention-news/2012-10-29/aerion-tests-further-efforts-develop-supersonic-bizjet | title = Aerion Tests Further Efforts to Develop Supersonic Bizjet | newspaper = Aviation International News | date = October 29, 2012}}{{cite news |url= https://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article1103363.html |title= Aerion makes progress on supersonic business jet |newspaper= The Wichita Eagle |date= Nov 21, 2012 |access-date= February 8, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124243/https://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article1103363.html |archive-date= February 9, 2019 |url-status= live }}
A second test surface was flown during the first half of 2013, its design guided by the 2010 test.{{Citation | place = Dryden | url = https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/sblt_phase_2.html | title = Supersonic Laminar Flow Tests Continue on NASA's F-15B | publisher = NASA | date = May 22, 2013 | access-date = February 8, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170610185523/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/sblt_phase_2.html | archive-date = June 10, 2017 | url-status = live }}
The new test surface was designed to provide large extents of laminar flow and be shaped so boundary layer instabilities grow relatively slowly and smoothly. These characteristics should facilitate good boundary layer imaging of the roughness and step-height experiments performed in next phase.
Specifications (SBJ)
File:Aerion SSBJ two-view silhouette.png
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|crew= 2
|capacity=up to 12 passengers
|length ft=148.3
|span ft=64.2
|height ft=23.3
|wing area sqft=1,200
|aspect ratio={{#expr:64.2/(1200/64.2)round1}}
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb=45,100
|max takeoff weight lb=90,000
|fuel capacity=45,400
|more general=
- Cabin length × height × width: {{cvt|30 × 6.2 × 6.5|feet}}
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=P&W JT8D-200 series
|eng1 type=turbofan
|eng1 lbf=19,600
|max speed mach=1.6
|minimum control speed kts=120
|minimum control speed note=Approach speed
|range nmi=4,200
|range note=at Mach 1.4
|ceiling ft=51,000
|wing loading lb/sqft={{#expr:90/1.2round2}}
|thrust/weight={{#expr:19.6*2/90round2}}
|more performance=
- Takeoff (BFL): {{cvt|6,000|ft}}
- Landing (wet): {{cvt|3,460|ft}}
}}
See also
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|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
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References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.aerionsupersonic.com/ Aerion official site]
- {{Citation | newspaper = Aviation week | url = http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/SUPE11147.xml&headline=Aerion%20Accepts%20LOIs%20For%20Supersonic%20Business%20Jet&channel=busav | title = Aerion Accepts LOIs For Supersonic Business Jet | access-date = 2007-11-16 | archive-date = 2011-09-27 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927185023/http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news%2FSUPE11147.xml&headline=Aerion%20Accepts%20LOIs%20For%20Supersonic%20Business%20Jet&channel=busav | url-status = dead }}.
- {{Citation | url = http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews/04nbaa/topstor02.htm | title = Aerion Pushes Business Case for SBJ | newspaper = Aviation Week & Space Technology | access-date = 2006-01-12 | archive-date = 2011-05-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110521045349/http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews/04nbaa/topstor02.htm | url-status = dead }}.
- {{Citation|url=http://www.aviation-news.co.uk/aerion.html |newspaper=Aviation News Magazine |type=excerpt |title=Aerion SBJ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709040012/http://www.aviation-news.co.uk/aerion.html |archivedate=2008-07-09 }}.
- {{Citation | url = http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/11/18/335012/dubai-09-supersonic-business-jet-still-in-demand.html | title = Supersonic business jet still in demand | newspaper = Flight global | date = 2009-11-18}}.
- [http://www.aviationpros.com/news/11489439/aerion-makes-design-changes-in-supersonic-business-jet Aerion Makes Design Changes In Supersonic Business Jet] [https://web.archive.org/web/20140822131149/http://www.aviationpros.com/news/11489439/aerion-makes-design-changes-in-supersonic-business-jet Archive]
{{Aerion aircraft}}
{{Supersonic transport}}
Category:Abandoned civil aircraft projects of the United States