After a flurry of interest late in the last decade that appeared to lose momentum in the wake of 9/11, there is evidence that progress toward defining a supersonic business jet continues quietly. While asserting that its Mirage and Rafale expertise makes it at ease with the supersonic realm, Dassault has continued to voice concerns about the technical complexity and financial risks of developing a suitable powerplant for an SSBJ, but Rolls-Royce Deutschland, for one, dismisses the technological concerns at least. Sukhoi would have had an SSBJ in service by now if all it took were enthusiasm and confidence. And over the years Gulfstream, teamed at times with both Sukhoi and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, has certainly succeeded in piquing the interest of fractional heavyweight NetJets, the most likely launch customer for such an airplane.
Tempering the enthusiasm for speed has been word that the sort of person who could be expected to get excited about an SSBJ might, in fact, prefer flying long legs in the expansive comforts of a BBJ over sitting for shorter stints in a smaller and almost certainly pricier sprinter.
