Supersonic Bizjet Revealed at Paris Show

HyperMach Aerospace Industries unveiled a next-generation supersonic business jet (SSBJ) that can fly from Paris to New York in 1 hour 45 minutes. The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show  June 20. Given prevailing westerly winds on this 4,000-nautical-mile trip, the cruising speed of the HyperMach aircraft appears to be in the neighborhood of a blistering Mach 4.0. CEO Richard Lugg's background might provide more clues about the SSBJ, especially its powerplants: He is also chairman and CEO of Portland, Maine-based SonicBlue Aerospace, a company "specializing in revolutionary hybrid turbine and scramjet...propulsion systems," suggesting that this SSBJ will employ advanced technologies that heretofore were the preserve of the defense industry.