New York to Paris in 4 hours with upcoming supersonic business jet

Paris (France) – Reno-based Aerion Corporation is trying to line up buyers for an upcoming super-sonic jet that can fly at Mach 1.6 speeds. The company’s chairman Robert Bass was at the Paris Air Show trying to drum up support and buzz for the Aerion Small Business Jet (SBJ) which can ferry eight to twelve passengers from New York to Paris in four hours and 14 minutes.

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The SBJ will be made out of aluminum and composite materials which include carbon epoxy in the wings. The designers say the straight-edge wing design along with the Pratt and Whitney JT8D-219 engines allows it to be very fuel efficient at all speeds and Aerion claims that the jet can fly 3500 nautical miles at Mach 1.6. Maximum range is just over 4000 NM and the aircraft’s ceiling is 51,000 feet.

FAA regulations could be the biggest obstacle to the Aerion SBJ. Part 91 of the Federal Air Regulations states that no civil aircraft can go above Mach 1 within the United States and its territorial waters. There is a little bit of wiggle room because another paragraph in the rules says that aircraft can go faster than Mach 1 if there is no noticeable sonic boom reaching the ground. According to the Aerion web page, the wing design allows it to cruise at Mach 1.1 to 1.2 with no sonic boom hitting the ground.

Aerion hasn’t said when the jet will actually reach production, but initial prices are expected to be at least $80 million, according to the New York Times.