Boston-based company Spike consists of former Airbus, Gulfstream, and Bombardier engineers along with a slew of entrepreneurs and investors who are working to develop a supersonic private jet for the ultra-wealthy. The Spike Aerospace S-512 will cut the flight time from L.A. to Tokyo in half.
But what you save in time your piggy bank will pay for in cash. The jet is estimated to cost upwards of $80 million.
The S-512 is being developed with a top speed goal of 1,370 mph, capable of carrying as many as 18 passengers, and would make the trip from New York to London as quick as 3 to 4 hours. The FAA currently restricts supersonic flight over land, meaning no flights within the continental U.S., only trips over oceans.
Spike has promised its state-of-the-art jet will take off in December 2018, giving the FAA ample time to potentially look at modifying some of the regulations dealing with supersonic flight.
