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SAI QSST

Type (Muster)
Supersonic business jet (Überschall-Geschäftsreisejet)

Country (Land)
USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Supersonic Aerospace International

USA

Internet: www.saiproject.com

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2
Passengers (Passagiere): 8 – 12. A stretched high-density version for 30 passengers would also be possible.

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x turbofans. It will eventually be selected from brand new designs by General Electric, Pratt & Whitney or Rolls-Royce.
Thrust (Schub): 2 x 146 – 155,5 kN (33000 – 35000 lbs)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 39,10 m
Height (Höhe): 6,45 m
Span (Spannweite): 19,05 m

Weights (Massen)
Max. take-off weight (max. Startmasse): 68040 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. cruise speed (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit): Mach 1.6 - 1.8
Operating altitude (Reiseflughöhe): 12190 – 18290 m
Runway requirement (Start-/Landebahnlänge): 2440 m
Range (Reichweite): 7410 km

Costs (Kosten)
In October 2004 it was said that a QSST could sell at 80 million Dollars.
Development cost was estimated at 2,5 to 3 billion Dollars (as of 2004)

Customers (Kunden)
None yet
Paulson said at Las Vegas in October 2004 that a market for 300 to 400 aircraft over 10 to 15 years is anticipated. This includes government and special mission markets.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
Aerion Supersonic Business Jet

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
Technical features of the QSST include:

innovative aerodynamic shaping and a patented, inverted “V-tail” that is instrumental to the radical reduction in sonic boom (less than 1/100th that of the Concorde it was claimed in 2004) Ibrand new, up-to-date engine to meet and exceed the latest emission standards. It will employ a variety of techniques to suppress takeoff and landing noise while operating at supersonic speeds with maximum combustion efficiency to minimize emissions.
an advanced cockpit design with excellent pilot field-of view
innovative enhanced vision system to improve the over-the-nose field-of-view beyond FAA requirements
advanced dynamic finite element modeling for a highly efficient structural design
aeroelastic and other structural dynamic effects are fully considered in the design
an airframe that incorporates well understood metallic and composite materials
fly-by-wire flight controls, as the aircraft is unstable in pitch in certain flight regimes

History (Geschichte)
Before his passing, Allen Paulson, the founder of Gulfstream Aerospace, saw supersonic flight as the next logical step for business aviation. Michael Paulson, his son, formed Supersonic Aerospace International (SAI) in 2001 to bring his father's vision of a “Quiet Small Supersonic Transport” (QSST) to reality.
By October 2004, SAI had invested more than $20 million to fund Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company's Advanced Development Programs – the “Skunk Works” – to design and assess the feasibility of a quiet, small supersonic transport that can fly long distances much faster than the speed of sound without an objectionable sonic boom and that eliminates takeoff noise objections that limited operations of the now-retired Concorde SST. The money came from a trust left for the purpose by Allen Paulson.
Phase 1 of the project started in May 2001 and was complete by October 2004, when the company presented its plans for the first time during the 2004 NBAA convention in Las Vegas. By that time the Skunk Works had completed extensive wind tunnel work, structural analysis and computational fluid dynamics calculations. According to Lockheed Martin, this investigations have shown that an QSST can be built, can be certified to fly overland at supersonic speeds, and will satisfy community noise and global environmental concerns.
SAI said at Las Vegas that in now plans to launch Phase 2 of the project in January 2005. Main aim of this 50 million Dollar effort wirl be to put together an international consortium to advance the project. Talks with established aircraft manufacturers were under way already. Also, further risk mitigation work will be conducted.
The detail design Phase 3 could then start in 2006/2007, directly followed by the manufacture of three flight test aircraft. A first flight of 2010/2011 was targeted.
An entry into service date of 2012 was mentioned in October 2004.

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Last updated 21 October 2004

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