But then the bad news<\/strong> was that Aerion Supersonic, widely regarded as being the closest to delivering a viable supersonic business jet, shut down\u00a0<\/a>after seventeen years and many millions of dollars spent trying to make the dream a reality.<\/p>\n The boomless, carbon neutral AS2 jet concept. | Aerion<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n This emotional roller coaster poses an important conundrum: purchase agreements are one thing but are we really that close to commercial supersonic flight?<\/strong> When you start digging it becomes clear just how much the sound barrier becomes a hurdle for the industry as it stands today.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just about shock waves either \u2013 even though it\u2019s possible, will it ever be profitable?<\/strong><\/p>\n The iconic Concorde to this day remains one of only two commercial supersonic jets that was were in service (the Tupolev briefly being the other). In its twenty-seven year career of rattling windows at JFK and Heathrow, its profits were certainly subsonic. It\u2019s possible that in its legacy it leaves an unpleasant truth: is it really worth flying faster than Mach 1? <\/em><\/p>\n The aviator inside me hopes so, but the writing may already be on the wall.<\/p>\n Can the legacy of Concorde teach us some valuable lessons?<\/p><\/div>\n Ironically the formula to going supersonic appears quite simple: take a super slippery airframe, make it heat resistant and then liberally apply loads of power. But i<\/em>f only it was that easy.<\/em><\/p>\n Firstly there\u2019s the issue of sonic booms. ICAO’s current policy<\/a> says that operators have to ensure that no \u2018unacceptable situation\u2019 is created for the public by the sonic boom of a commercial aircraft. The FAA have taken it further and said no-bueno to any<\/span> commercial ops above Mach 1 over the US<\/strong> unless you have very special permission.<\/p>\n Low-boom technology<\/a> is real, using special shapes to reduce the impact of the big bang on the ground but we\u2019re still a ways-off going zero-boom in the near future<\/strong>. You might be thinking \u2013 why not go subsonic over land and wind it up over the ocean? That works for trans-continental flights but not so much for long legs over land.\u00a0To make matters worse, supersonic airframes don\u2019t fly efficiently at subsonic speeds. It would just not be viable to fly subsonic for hours burning copious amounts of gas.<\/p>\n All sonic booms aside, there is still an issue with noise. As speeds become supersonic, jet engines must lose bypass to stay efficient. The huge N1 fans we see on modern subsonic jets would only cause huge amounts of drag at high speeds.<\/p>\n Unfortunately this means they have a tendency to be ear-splittingly loud when they take off and land<\/strong>. Just listen to a video of Concorde<\/a> \u2013 cool, yes. But legal? Not with today\u2019s regs. Here\u2019s what I mean.<\/p>\n Although this is set to change<\/a>, ICAO<\/strong> hasn’t yet published specific noise guidelines for supersonic aircraft. Instead they say that noise levels for subsonic aircraft can be used as the guideline. The FAA<\/strong> say that commercial supersonic aircraft are banned unless they meet stage 2 noise limits<\/a> \u2013 what are those you say?<\/p>\n They\u2019re about as loud as older aircraft like the 727. For comparison, they used to produce around 90 decibels on the roll. Concorde once recorded 120 \u2013 about the same as a clap of thunder.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that engine technology needs to be drastically different and new regs will need to be written<\/strong> to let the supersonic birds fly.<\/p>\n The industry is in the midst of a massive move toward sustainability<\/strong> and the goals are ambitious. ICAO for instance is tasked by the Kyoto Protocol to control aviation’s burn-off that affects global warming. They’re now\u00a0targeting carbon neutral growth<\/a>\u00a0until 2050 despite how quickly things once again begin to expand. There is an industry-wide push toward alternative fuels including hydrogen and Sustainable Aviation Fuel\u00a0<\/a>which can be run in conventional turbine engines using waste products that need to be seen to be believed.<\/p>\n The world is worried about global warming, ozone depletion and air quality and super-fast jets just don\u2019t fit this mould. <\/em>The future wants us to be squeaky-clean. This is a big barrier to supersonic aviation as the industry is unlikely to give the thumbs up to new technologies without knowing whether they are playing their role in keeping emissions down.<\/p>\n Sustainability – one of major barriers to supersonic flight.<\/p><\/div>\n Then there\u2019s the airframe. We\u2019re going to fly these things which means they need to perform on several levels<\/strong>. First of all they need to have acceptable handling and ride qualities \u2013 and delta wings are different. They need to be safe, and the passengers comfortable.<\/p>\n And how will they perform at high altitude?<\/strong> They have to be recoverable from jet upsets. Finally it\u2019s safe to assume that if one of these aircraft makes it to the line (and I hope one does) it will be packed full of technology. But it\u2019s important to remember that advanced technologies need to be approved and reliability becomes a pressing issue. This all takes time.<\/p>\n That<\/em> old chestnut. It gets in the way of all the fun.<\/p>\n The shutdown of Aerion Supersonic raises some serious questions about the viability of these spectacular flying machines. All of these technological challenges are certainly boundaries but money talks. Perhaps the biggest challenge of all is economic.<\/p>\n Concorde first flew in 1976. Since then no one has come to market with a solution that would make them affordable to airlines and corporate operators alike. Companies like Boom<\/a>, Spike<\/a> and Exosonic<\/a> are certainly weighing in on the challenge, but is the model missing the mark?<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/lead-aerion-as2.jpg\")
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We know we can build it, but here are the issues.<\/h4>\n
When things go boom.<\/h4>\n
What\u2019s that noise?<\/h4>\n
What about the trees?<\/h4>\n
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But how will she handle?<\/h4>\n
The Elephant in the Room \u2013 The Profit Barrier.<\/h4>\n
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