GE Avionics Reveals Design for Supersonic Engine

GE Avionics has revealed a new clan of engines that are designed to fly faster than the speed of sound, according to New Atlas. The new engine, known as Affinity, will be integrated into the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet, and is being created in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation and Honeywell. This jet could cut the time of a transatlantic flight by almost three hours.

GE Avionics hopes to bring back life to supersonic flight by designing new technologies that help with cost, fuel efficiency and noise. GE said the Affinity will be first to deploy the new development of engines. GE hopes to apply their expertise from their supersonic fighter jet experience and design lessons from building engines for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner into building these new engines.

Although details are cannot be talked about, GE said the new engines will operate at up to 60,000 ft, and meet a new noise requirement. Supposedly, it will have the ability to fly subsonic over land and water.

The engines will use Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), a computer system that oversees all aspects of the engine’s operations with no need for manual override. Additionally, the engines will collaborate with Aerion’s natural laminar flow concept. This concept uses a swept leading edge wing and new fuselage design to reduce air drag over the wing by 60 percent, and overall drag by 20 percent.

We will hopefully see the AS2 in 2023 for its first flight.