Supersonic business jet a reality for Spike
The aerospace firm has secured first orders and is close to selecting an engine for the $125m aircraft
Dubai — Spike Aerospace has signed up its first orders and is close to selecting an engine for the $125m supersonic business jet it is developing, its president said on Monday. Spike and other US-based start-ups are aiming to revive ultra-fast flights to serve a market that has been dormant since Concorde stopped flying in 2003. Spike is aiming to start test flights in two years with its S-512 aircraft entering into service in 2025. “We already have two orders,” Vik Kachoria said in Dubai, where he was attending an industry conference. There were also ongoing discussions with a commercial airline, he added. He declined to disclose further details but said the orders they had booked were not from an airliner. Spike believes there will be demand for about 850 supersonic jets in the decade to 2035, largely from commercial airlines. Spike is planning for its S-512 aircraft to seat up to 18 passengers, flying at Mach 1.6 — above the Mach 0.9 speed of rival subsonic business jets. “The bu...
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