New R&D effort may revive Dassault SSBJ

French aerospace firms Dassault Aviation and Onera have signed an agreement to work on research and development that rekindle Dassault’s interest in possibly developing a supersonic business jet (SSBJ). Onera is an aircraft design testing specialist. The agreement covers business aircraft, including the Falcon family and an SSBJ. “Our research teams will be working to minimize the drag coefficients of our aircraft to cut fuel consumption,” said the companies. Other studies aimed at enhancing comfort levels will focus on reducing cabin noise. “Development of a supersonic corporate jet may also result in joint R&D projects,” they said.