SonicStar, a proposed new supersonic aircraft that could reach speeds up to Mach 3.5, was introduced on Monday at the Paris Air Show by HyperMach Aeronautics. The company says it has developed a design using a "revolutionary" new hybrid electric gas turbine engine, and is seeking investors and partners to help launch a prototype by 2021. The airplane is designed to fly at 62,000 feet, carrying up to 20 passengers in a luxury cabin. The company's Web site says the design has eliminated the problem of sonic booms over land, which are prohibited in many countries, by using "groundbreaking technology" that allows "aerodynamics to be controlled."
At top speed, the jet could fly from New York to Dubai in about two hours and 40 minutes, the company said. HyperMach, which launched in 2008, is led by CEO Richard Lugg, who also serves as CEO of Sonicblue Aerospace, the company that developed the turbine engine that drives the design. In a video on the HyperMach Web site, Lugg says he was inspired by the Concorde to pursue the dream of super-high-speed flight. Aerion Corp., of Reno, Nev., also has been working to develop a supersonic business jet, and has attracted about 50 deposits for its $80 million aircraft. However, so far the company has not secured a manufacturing partner to take its design to completion.
By Mary Grady, Source: http://www.avweb.com