Aerion AS2

Aerospace firm Aerion has partnered with Airbus to advance the development and commercialisation of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet, which is planned to take its first flight in 2019.

The joint effort would strengthen Aerion engineering capabilities and facilitate AS2 progress into design phase, the company said.

Under the deal, Airbus’s Defence and Space division will offer technical and certification support, including senior engineering staff at Aerion’s new offices in Reno, Nevada.

Aerion will contribute its design tools and patented aerodynamic designs, as well as assist Airbus in aircraft technology development.

Both the companies will work closely on future flight technologies as well as share knowledge and design, manufacturing and certification capabilities.

Aerion chairman and principal investor Robert Bass said: "This is a major step forward for Aerion.

"Aerion will contribute its design tools and patented aerodynamic designs."

"It puts us solidly on track toward our objective of certifying the world’s first supersonic business jet in 2021."

Aerion CEO Doug Nichols said: "Aerion moves quickly toward building a supersonic jet, and Airbus Group gains exclusive access to more than a decade of successful research and proprietary high-performance aircraft technology."

Nichols was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that the company estimates demand for 600 AS2 aircraft over a 20-year period.

Airbus spokesman Barton Greer said that the company is keen to support Aerion’s project to develop natural laminar flow technology for subsonic and transonic aircraft.

Certification for AS2 supersonic business jet is expected to be received in 2021 with plans to put the aircraft into service the following year.

Image: The Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet is planned to take its first flight in 2019. Photo: courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Aerion Corporation.

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