At a press conference with Aerion Corporation today, GE Aviation announced that it has completed the initial design of the first supersonic engine purpose built for business jets. This new engine class, revealed today as GE’s Affinity turbofan, is optimized with proven GE technology for supersonic flight and timed to meet the Aerion AS2 launch. The Affinity is a new class of medium bypass ratio engines that provide exceptional and balanced performance across supersonic and subsonic flights. The Affinity integrates a unique blend of proven military supersonic experience, commercial reliability and the most advanced business jet engine technologies.  GE’s Affinity is a twin shaft, twin fan turbofan controlled by a next generation Full Authority Digital Engine Control  (FADEC) for enhanced dispatch reliability and onboard diagnostics. It is purposefully designed to enable efficient  supersonic flight over water and efficient subsonic flight over land, without requiring modifications to existing compliance regulations. The engine is designed to meet stringent Stage 5 subsonic noise requirements and beat current emissions standards.

GE’s Affinity features:

  • Efficient performance throughout the full flight envelope with a high altitude service ceiling of 60,000.
  • An advanced twin fan with the highest bypass ratio of any supersonic engine.
  • A special, non augmented supersonic exhaust system.
  • A proven engine core adapted from GE’s commercial airline portfolio with billions of successful and reliable hours of operational service.
  • A durable combustor with advanced coatings for sustained high speed operation.
  • Advanced acoustic technology designed to meet or exceed regulatory requirements.
  • GE’s additive design & manufacturing technologies to optimize weight & performance.

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