Aircraft / Aria T182 Transonic
A JStream Exclusive Original Concept Aircraft
The Aria T182 Transonic is a narrow-body, medium to long range twin-engine jet airliner produced by the Aria Aircraft Company, a commercial aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Denver, Colorado USA, and Dublin, Ireland.
Slingshot Project
In November 2016, after Aria Aircraft had completed the initial development and launch of its four original series of airliners - the Aria T12 Subsonic, Aria T42 Transonic, Aria S152 Supersonic and Aria S242 Supersonic - Aria reassigned several of its engineers to work on a new project.
The project was initially called Project David, named after the Biblical figure who defeated the Philistine giant Goliath against enormous odds. In early 2017, the project was renamed the Slingshot Project - or Slingshot for short - to avoid confusion with various religious organizations bearing similar names.
Slingshot’s assigned mission was to develop, design and launch a twin engine, single aisle narrowbody airliner seating 150-200 passengers capable of competing directly and effectively against the airliner duopoly then held by Airbus and Boeing. Different configurations were considered, but within 6 months Slingshot 3 proposed aircraft models emerged, each designed to carry different numbers of passengers:
Slingshot 152, a 152-passenger aircraft to compete against the Boeing 737 MAX 7 and Airbus A319neo;
Slingshot 182, a 182-passenger aircraft to rival the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Airbus A320neo; and
Slingshot 212, a 182-passenger aircraft to challenge the Boeing 737 MAX 9 and Airbus A321neo.
All 3 models were greenlighted, with plans for them to be developed together as a single aircraft type but offered in 3 differing variants. Slingshot 182 was to be developed as the baseline variant, while Slingshot 152 would serve as a shortened-fuselage version and Slingshot 212 would become the stretched-fuselage edition.
Launch and Transonic Flight Tests
During the summer of 2021, Slingshot 182 was officially launched as the Aria T182, and 4 prototype aircraft were soon fabricated to begin the testing and certification process.
In August 2022, one of the 4 prototypes was found to have safely and successfully flown multiple times at sustained speeds of 657 knots / 1216 km/h, or Mach 0.985 - a higher rate of speed than other airliners are normally designed to fly. All four prototypes were immediately rescheduled to conduct further speed trials, where they would be gradually pushed up to and slightly beyond the speed of sound.
During November and December 2022, all four prototype aircraft were flown up and down the US Pacific coast for days, operating at speeds up to Mach 1.06 (707 knots; 1309 km/h; 813 mph) for varying lengths of time, ranging from 15 minutes to 2 hours. After each test, each aircraft was carefully checked for possible damage and wear.
All 4 aircraft were found to hold up well at Mach 1.06 up to 75 minutes, while one aircraft that flew at Mach 1.06 for 2 hours found its livery paint began to wear and peel substantially. That particular aircraft was immediately retired out of safety concerns, but additional testing went on to prove that the T182 was capable of flying safely at supersonic speeds for up to 75 minutes.
Meanwhile, the T182’s optimal cruise speed overall settled in at Mach 0.965 / 643 knots / 1192 km/h, and its maximum, continuous subsonic operating speed was set to Mach 0.98 / 653 knots / 1210 km/h.
Rebrand As Aria T182 Transonic and Further Developments
In February 2023, to better promote the Aria T182’s new-found ability to cruise at speeds around the sound barrier, Aria Aircraft slightly rebranded the Aria T182 to the Aria T182 Transonic. By the summer of 2023 it soon became evident that, whereas conventional jetliners typically fly between Mach 0.67 and Mach 0.85, each of Aria's aircraft could safely reach speeds above Mach 0.90. Therefore, in August 2023 Aria Aircraft decided to apply the “Transonic” designation to all of the company’s non-supersonic jet aircraft.
The Aria T182 Transonic Transonic received its final type certifications by US and European authorities in late May 2024, and was granted special approval to fly supersonic up to Mach 1.06 for as much as 75 minutes while operating over open seas, to avoid the possibility of emitting sonic booms while flying overland.
Introduction
The first Aria T182 Transonic - alongside its two sibling variants, the shortened-fuselage Aria T152 Transonic and the stretched-fuselage Aria T212 Transonic - were all officially introduced together at special delivery ceremonies held at Aria Aircraft’s facilities in Denver-DEN and Dublin-DUB on 20 June 2024.
The Aria T182 is currently available as a baseline passenger airliner, as well as in a business jet configuration known as the Aria T182b Transonic Bizjet. The T182 has earned a reputation for efficiency and reliability that, alongside various production and/or operational problems that have hampered its competitors, has resulted in creating a very healthy backlog of orders for it spanning out several years into the future.
A P2F (passenger to freighter) conversion program, to be based at Wichita, Kansas USA, is reportedly being planned.
Reference: none - fictional.
Stats
Stats displayed are for the Aria T182 Transonic twinjet aircraft.
Name: Aria T182 Transonic
Final Assembly Lines: Sacramento-MHR, California USA; Shannon-SNN, Ireland
Role: Twin Engine Narrowbody Jet Airliner
First Introduction: 20 June 2024
Status: In Production; In Service
Cockpit Crew: Two
Seating:
Airliner Standard: 182 - 44 Business + 138 Premium Economy
Airliner Alternate 1: 172 - 64 Business + 108 Premium Economy
Airliner Alternate 2: 184 - 16 Business + 168 Premium Economy
Airliner All Economy: up to 228 Standard Economy
Airliner All Business Recliner: up to 136 Business
Airliner All Business Flat Bed: up to 56 Business
Bizjet Standard: 36 Business
Engines: 2 x Sonata Type 14B
Cruise Speed:
Transonic: Mach 0.965 (643 knots; 1192 km/h; 740 mph)
Supersonic (up to 75 minutes): Mach 1.06 (707 knots; 1309 km/h; 813 mph)
Range: 4000 nmi (7408 km; 4603 mi)