The Spike S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet is expected to be brought to market by 2023.
Spike Aerospace has revealed that they’re stepping up development efforts on their planned “Quiet Supersonic Jet,” which would hold up to 18 passengers. According to company officials, their engineering team is on track for a first flight with a subsonic prototype of the jet by the late summer of 2017. This prototype would be used to demonstrate the aircraft’s low-speed aerodynamic flight characteristic. The company would then follow this prototype with a series of larger jets, arriving at a “supersonic demonstrator by the end of 2018.”
Vik Kachoria, the President and CEO of Spike Aerospace, said that “We made a lot of progress in 2016 in engineering and with the addition of a number of engineers and partners. Our plans for 2017 is even more exciting as we continue development of the Spike S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet. I’m looking forward to our first flight later this year.”
The company has said they’ve recently added several advisors that have experience selling corporate jets in the US, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, and that those advisors would be assisting them in discussions with both individual and commercial customers.
More Details on the Spike S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet
The Spike S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet will be the first aircraft designed with Quiet Supersonic Flight (QSF) technology. According to the company, this proprietary technology was developed “to minimize the sonic boom by optimizing the aerodynamic design.” The aircraft will be capable of flying at a supersonic cruising speed (an estimated Mach 1.6, with a range of 6200 nm), which the company estimates may cut the flight time in half at a cost equivalent to a business class seat. Spike Aerospace expects to be able to bring the aircraft to market by 2023.
Featured Image: courtesy of Spike Aerospace
