| SonicStar | |
|---|---|
| |
| 3m long model at the 2011 Paris Airshow (Le Bourget) | |
| Role | High Supersonic Passenger transport |
| Manufacturer | HyperMach Aerospace Industries (UK) |
| Designer | SonicStar SAS |
| Status | Development aborted |
| Number built | 0 |
The SonicStar was a proposed high-supersonic aircraft business jet designed by SonicStar SAS led by Bernard Rousset and motorized by HyperMach.[1]
CEO Richard H. Lugg & COO Bernard Rousset first presented the concept at the 2011 Paris Air Show (Le Bourget) and showed a 3m long model.[2]
Bernard Rousset participated in the Global Aerospace Summit of 2018 in Abu Dhabi and presented the latest advancement of the project.
The SonicStar was expected to reach speeds of up to Mach 3.6 (2,375 mph (3,822 km/h))[3] and fly at an altitude of 80,000 feet (24,380 m).[4] Its propulsion was projected to be 30 percent more fuel efficient than the Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 engines which powered the Concorde.[4] Hypothetically, the SonicStar would fly three times faster than the speed of the Concorde.[3] It was planned to be powered by two engineered 157,700 thrust SonicBlue HYSCRAM (Hypersonic Superconducting Combustion Ram Accelerated Magnetohydrodynamic Drive [4]) hybrid hypersonic 6500-X series engines.[5] Sonic boom was expected to be eliminated over land, through electromagnetic drag reduction technology that was claimed to be under development.[4]
The proposed aircraft would carry 8 to 12[4] passengers in a high comfort VIP mode.[3]
The founders put the project on hold by 2020, and went on their separate journeys. No further information regarding the aircraft has been published since 2019. Octuri provided some illustrations of the aircraft and the interiors,[6] and La Depeche published an article in 2014.[7] As of March 2023[update], the company's website no longer exists.
- ^ "Website". hypermach.com.
- ^ "Interview Le Bourget 2011". YouTube.
- ^ a b c Jones 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Quick 2011.
- ^ Moscrop 2011.
- ^ "Sonicstar".
- ^ LaDepeche.fr