GE’s AffinityTM: The First Civil Supersonic Engine in 55 Years – Launching a New Era of Efficient Supersonic Flight

GE Aviation announced that it has completed the initial design of the first supersonic engine purpose-built for business jets. This new engineclass, revealed today as GE’s Affinity turbofan, isoptimized with proven GE technology for supersonic flight and timed tomeet the Aerion AS2 launch.

The Affinity is a new class of medium bypass ratio engines that provideexceptional and balanced performance across supersonic and subsonicflights. The Affinity integrates a unique blend of proven militarysupersonic experience, commercial reliability and the most advancedbusiness jet engine technologies.

GE’s Affinity is a twin-shaft, twin-fan turbofan controlled by a nextgeneration Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) for enhanceddispatch reliability and onboard diagnostics. It is purposefullydesigned to enable efficient supersonic flight over water and efficientsubsonic flight over land, without requiring modifications to existingcompliance regulations. The engine is designed to meet stringent Stage 5subsonic noise requirements and beat current emissions standards.

GE’s Affinity features:

• Efficient performance throughout the full flight envelope with ahigh-altitude service ceiling of 60,000.

• An advanced twin-fan with the highest bypass ratio of any supersonicengine.

• A special, non-augmented supersonic exhaust system.

• A proven engine core adapted from GE’s commercial airline portfoliowith billions of successful and reliable hours of operational service.

• A durable combustor with advanced coatings for sustained high-speedoperation.

• Advanced acoustic technology designed to meet or exceed regulatoryrequirements.

• GE’s additive design & manufacturing technologies to optimize weight &performance.

“In the last 50 years, business aircraft speeds have increased by lessthan 10 percent,” said Brad Mottier, GE Vice President and GeneralManager for Business and General Aviation & Integrated Services. “Instead of going faster, cabins have increased in size and become morecomfortable – and range has become longer. With large, comfortablecabin, long range aircraft in the marketplace, the next step is speed .. . made possible with GE’s Affinity.”

After two years of a preliminary study, GE Aviation and Aerion launcheda formal process in May of 2017 to define and evaluate a final engineconfiguration for the AS2 supersonic business jet. A GE Project team,supported by a dedicated Engineering team, continue to work with Aerionin a formal and gated process. The next design review is targeted for2020, signaling the beginning of detailed design and test articleproduction.

Aerion is collaborating with GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin and Honeywellto develop the AS2.

“Our mission is to enhance global mobility with supersonic speed,starting with business aviation, and following with successively fasterand larger designs for business and commercial aviation,” said AerionCEO Tom Vice. “GE Aviation is making this new efficient, sustainablesupersonic era possible through its pioneering work on the Affinityengine.”

Source: Business Wire