A photo from open sources
After Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing-787 accidentally accelerated downwind to supersonic speed, world media intensified talked about when in the XXI century there will be a passenger airliner really capable of reaching cruising speed more one Mach.
But it seems that in the world no country is in a hurry to lead in this area of technological progress. At least to reporters it was possible to give birth only to information that on February 21 of this year it is possible to consider the beginning of the development of a supersonic aircraft of the 21st century, and The American startup Aerion is now engaged in this, relying on well-known aircraft company Spirit AeroSystems. It will be AS2 aircraft capable of speeds up to Mach 1.4, and its main advantage will be “silence”, capable of the maximum level the effect of overcoming the sound barrier with similar by airliners (Concord and Tu-144), which first of all made supersonic passenger aircraft of the last century ineffective.
A photo from open sources
True, it will be a relatively small airliner, designed for only 12 passengers. AS2 will have the following parameters: 52 meters in length and 6.7 in height, wingspan of 18.6 meter. Its take-off weight will not exceed 55 tons. So what to talk about the creation of a full-fledged supersonic passenger aircraft XXI century is too early. Moreover, even the current one has just the project that started, is, as they say, at the earliest promotion stages. And will something worthwhile come out of this venture or not, no one yet understands.
So to say that the United States will become the leader in creating ultra-fast passenger airliners, while too early …
Aircraft
