Feature - Aerion SBJ

RETURN OF THE

MACH

With the Aerion SBJ cleared for landing in 2015, Sur la Terre celebrates the dawning of a new supersonic age.

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ŰŰŰƋ $!*Ƌ 0$!Ƌ )%#$05Ƌ +* +. !Ƌ 3 /Ƌ ò* ((5Ƌ grounded in 2003, the era of supersonic passenger aircraft fell to earth with it. Since the (!#!* .5Ƌ %. . "0Ě/Ƌò* (Ƌ0+1 $ +3*Ƌ 0Ƌ ! 0$.+3Ƌ Airport eight long years ago, humanity’s airborne ambition has devolved, once again, into bloated, subsonic airliners. Where once man soared, skirting the stratosphere, we now cruise lethargically at a paltry 30,000 feet, developing Deep Vein Thrombosis alongside 299 other disgruntled souls.

Like the art-deco elegance of the Zeppelin age before it, the exclusivity of travel at twice the speed of sound, the excitement of record .! '%*#Ć‹ Ăł%#$0/Ć‹ !03!!*Ć‹ +* +*Ć‹ * Ć‹ !3Ć‹ York and the promise of bringing hemispheres 3%0$%*Ć‹ Ć‹ 5Äš/Ć‹ Ăł5%*#Ć‹ 0%)!Ć‹ $ 2!Ć‹ !!*Ć‹ /$! Ć‹ on the runways of history... until now.

As a British company breathes life into the (+*#Ƌ "+.#+00!*Ƌ 3+.( Ƌ +"Ƌ 6!,,!(%*Ƌ ó%#$0Ƌ 3%0$Ƌ Ƌ úôôļ"++0Ƌ 5 .% Ƌ %.Ƌ !$% (!Ƌ0$ 0Ƌ3%((Ƌ0 '!Ƌó%#$0Ƌ in 2012, our hopes that we would once again streak across the sky, scattering clouds in a sonic boom, were also given a lift when we discovered Nevada-based Aerion Corporation.

Aerion is the developer of the Aerion Supersonic Business Jet (SBJ), which is !/%#*! Ƌ0+Ƌ !Ƌ0$!Ƌò./0Ƌ,.%2 0!Ƌ,( *!Ƌ , (!Ƌ of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 1.6 over one and a half times the speed of sound - and cruise at an altitude of 51,000 feet.

SBJ is designed to comply with environmental, sound and airport regulations everywhere.

$!Ƌ ,( *!Ƌ *Ƌ (/+Ƌ ó5Ƌ 0Ƌ &1/0Ƌ 1* !.Ƌ 0$!Ƌ speed of sound, 0.98 Mach, but still offer a similar cost-per-mile as that old-fashioned turboprop thing you have parked at Doha This is no airy-fairy, cloud-cuckoo-land International. Over water, you can really give pipe dream, either. In October last year, the it the beans though, meaning the Aerion can +), *5Ƌ +),(!0! Ƌ !.+ 5* )% Ƌó%#$0Ƌ0!/0/Ƌ get you from Doha to Paris in roughly four 1,Ƌ 0+Ƌ $Ƌ ÜĊƋ +.Ƌ 0$!Ƌ ò./0Ƌ 0%)!Ƌ /%* !Ƌ 0$!Ƌ hours! For such a small, sleek little number, Anglo-French, delta-winged god of thunder, the SBJ has a range of around 4,600 miles on Concorde, powered down its mighty Rolls a full tank.

Royce engines for the last time, the exclusivity of a single-day supersonic round-trip commute Another useful feature is that it only needs between Europe and the US is once again 3,500 feet of runway to land, which means that, while Roman Abramovich won’t quite within the grasp of the incredibly wealthy. be able to drop his on the deck of his Following in the footsteps of its lofty predecessor, former mega-yacht, Le Grand Bleu, you the SBJ is breaking new ground in... er... the air. will be able to land yours at any airstrip in Thanks to its design, coupled with its its Pratt the world - or even on your driveway if it’s & Whitney JT8D-219 engines, the Aerion long enough.

Supersonic Business Jet will be able to cruise at Mach 1.15 over land without producing any sonic A second key area where the SBJ differs from boom. Unlike the Concorde, which could only its forefather is in its design. Aerion’s philosophy ó5Ƌ0+Ƌ !.0 %*Ƌ %.,+.0/Ƌ * Ƌ+*Ƌ !.0 %*Ƌó%#$0Ƌ, 0$/Ƌ is to employ the latest technologies and to because of its operational requirements, the minimise the complexity of the aircraft.

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For instance, the wings will be made from . +*Ƌò .!Ƌ +),+/%0!/Ƌ"+.Ƌ +0$Ƌ%0/Ƌ(+3Ƌ3!%#$0Ƌ and its torsional stiffness. The supersonic * 01. (Ƌ( )%* .Ƌó+3Ƌı IJƋ3%*#/Ƌ.! 1 !Ƌ0+0 (Ƌ airframe drag by as much as 20 percent when +), .! Ƌ 0+Ƌ !(0 Ƌ 3%*#Ƌ +*ò#1. 0%+*/Ƌ /1 $Ƌ as that used by Concorde. This means that less power and less fuel are required to sustain /1,!./+*% Ƌó%#$0Ƌ+2!.Ƌ(+*#!.Ƌ %/0 * !/ċƋ%*Ƌ01.*Ƌ lowering weight and increasing efficiency.

Aerion will also employ construction methods and materials that are more commonly found +*Ƌ)+ !.*Ƌò#$0!.Ƌ&!0/ĊƋ

elements. LCD lighting will bathe the cabin in soothing colours, while the seats will cocoon passengers in their own personalised comfort 6+*!/ĊƋ +. %*#Ƌ 0+Ƌ !.%+*ċƋ 0$!Ƌ .! (%*!./Ƌ can even be heated or cooled to individual preference. The space will be equivalent to existing large business jets, with a cabin height of over six feet and able to accommodate up 0+ƋõöƋ, //!*#!./ċƋ !,!* %*#Ƌ+*Ƌ +*ò#1. 0%+*ĊƋ A cabin length of 30 feet allows for up to three separate seating areas, plus room for a full galley.

While Aerion is bringing sexy back to air travel, this kind of exclusivity and style will not Inside the plane, passengers can customise their come without a hefty price tag. Initial reports /! 0Ƌ +*ò#1. 0%+*Ƌ /Ƌ 0$!5Ƌ (%'!ċƋ /Ƌ 3!((Ƌ /Ƌ 0$!Ƌ suggest that the price for one of these aircarpets, seat coverings and other interior design splitting babies will lighten your pockets to

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the tune of US $80 million, a mere snip, if only for that priceless look on the faces of your friends as you taxi past while they board their run-of-the-mill Gulfstream.

Aerion is currently taking downpayments of US $250,000 for a place on the forty-strong list +"Ƌ0$+/!Ƌ3%/$%*#Ƌ0+Ƌ !Ƌ )+*#Ƌ0$!Ƌò./0Ƌ0+Ƌ0 '!Ƌ delivery in three years’ time. Should you choose this option, you will be in good company, as HE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, is reported to have put his marker down as early as 2007.

Sign up now and your SBJ could be racing $%/Ƌ 0+Ƌ !Ƌ 0$!Ƌ ò./0Ƌ 0+Ƌ ( * Ƌ 0Ƌ +$ Ě/Ƌ *!3(5Ƌ completed airport.