GE Aviation says it will work with Aerion Corp. to look at what would be needed to develop an engine for a supersonic jet. “We have thoroughly evaluated over two dozen civil and military engines from all leading engine producers over the past two years,” said Aerion CEO Doug Nichols. That research, he said, led him to conclude that “working with GE Aviation will help us meet the challenging specifications needed to meet our performance objectives.” Aerion’s goal is to design and certify a civil supersonic aircraft by 2025. The announcement was made Monday at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, going on this week in Geneva.
Aerion Corp., based in Reno, Nevada, was formed in 2002. It has developed and tested advanced wing technology that uses supersonic laminar flow, in conjunction with NASA and several other aeronautical research institutions. In 2014, Aerion entered into a collaboration with Airbus Group to develop the Aerion AS2 Mach 1.5 supersonic jet. Engineering is underway with first flight planned for 2021 and entry into service in 2023.
