Story ID: 
BAE To Supply AS2 Fly-by-wire
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Aerion has opted for a BAE Systems fly-by-wire flight control system with active inceptors on the AS2 supersonic business jet.
Word Count: 226
Aerion Supersonic selected BAE Systems to provide the fly-by-wire flight control system for its Mach 1.4 AS2 business jet. Under the contract announced today, BAE Systems will design, develop, and integrate a fly-by-wire system, including active controllers, on the new aircraft that is poised to mark the return of civil supersonic travel.

The active controllers will provide pilots with static and dynamic tactile force feedback in the palm of their hands through the flight stick. This feedback warns pilots of structural or aerodynamic operating limits, improving situational awareness to help the pilot maintain stable flight.

In selecting BAE, Aerion has opted for a supplier with more than 40 years of developing and integrating fly-by-wire systems. "We’re combining decades of expertise and cutting-edge advancements to provide discriminating control technologies that will enable the future of supersonic flight,” said Ehtisham Siddiqui, v-p and general manager of Controls and Avionics Solutions at BAE Systems.

BAE is part of a supplier base that also includes companies such as GE Aviation (engines), Spirit AeroSystems (structures), and Honeywell Aerospace (avionics and connectivity). The contract is the latest of a series of recent AS2 advancements, including the progress of the avionics and connectivity systems and the launching of wind tunnel tests. This activity comes as Aerion prepares to begin production in 2023 and fly the aircraft in 2025.