Aerion, a US-based company aiming to enter the supersonic and high Mach aircraft sector, has released a first glimpse of the AS3, a commercial airliner design claimed to be capable of transporting up to 50 passengers at Mach 4+, with a range of 7,000nm. The AS3 is the next stage in the company’s plans following the development of the AS2 supersonic business jet, production of which is due to begin in 2023.
The AS2 adds weight to the company’s ambitions for a commercial supersonic aircraft, as does the expansion earlier this year of Aerion’s ongoing partnership with NASA’s Langley Research Center, with the intention of accelerating the realisation of commercial high-speed flight and faster point-to-point travel, specifically studying commercial flight in the Mach 3-5 range.
“Our vision is to build a future where humanity can travel between any two points on our planet within three hours. Supersonic flight is the starting point, but it is just that – the beginning. To truly revolutionise global mobility as we know it today, we must push the boundaries of what is possible” said Aerion’s chairman, president & CEO, Tom Vice. “The AS3 forms the next step in our long-term technology roadmap and will bring Aerion’s high Mach flight capability to a broader audience; we look forward to sharing more on our design later this year.”
