There is still a possibility of life and the concept of the Concorde might not be so much at an end but rather evolving as if it is a phoenix, rising from the ashes. Because now word comes that a US company is on the verge of re-introducing to the world the dream of supersonic flight. Aerion says its supersonic commercial jet will be flying in the skies by no later than 2015.
By all accounts, the Aerion does not have the same style or grace or even the size of the mighty Concorde. However, the company remains confident in their supersonic vehicle. They’re so confident that they’ve already scheduled test flights for three years from now, in 2012. They then plan to test its trans-Atlantic capabilities not long after.
The Aerion Supersonic Jet is said to be capable of speeds as high as Mach 1.6, thus putting London once more within three hours of New York.
According to officials with the company, they are confident enough in the design that already 50 parties have expressed interest in a flight and have paid a deposit of £150,000 to reserve the spot. Representatives say the supersonic jet will change how global business is done, since flight times will be decreased by around 40 percent.
The Aerion supersonic jet is currently being priced at £47.5million for a single jet. According to company representatives, one of their greatest achievements is in dramatically reducing the noise that supersonic flight brings with it.
In fact, when the aircraft is running just slightly less than the speed of sound, there is virtually no noise impact. Even at higher-than-sound speeds, say mach 1.15, the craft flies without the sonic boom so familiar to those who remember the Concorde.
They’ve achieved this noise reduction thanks to what they call the Supersonic Natural Laminar Flow (a technology they’ve patented). This SNLF technology is said to greatly reduce the drag on the plane when it’s travelling at supersonic speeds, and even more so at high sub-sonic speeds.
Despite the fact that the Aerion is obviously only ever going to be flown by those who can afford it, the very idea that commercial supersonic airliners are going back into the skies will please the Concorde enthusiasts.
