Sukhoi-Gulfstream S-21
- Russia Russia
- United States United States
- Sukhoi
- Gulfstream Aerospace
The Sukhoi S-21 (Russian Сухой С -21 ) was a project to develop a supersonic business jet.
History
The project of a ten - to twelve -seat supersonic business jet ( Supersonic Business Jet, SSBJ ) can be attributed to separate design studies that were carried out by Sukhoi in 1987 and Gulfstream in 1988. After a meeting between the two companies on 13 June 1989, the plan of a joint venture was born, which eventually led to the design of a twin-engine tailless aircraft after further meetings. After the first redesigns in 1990 presented at the Airshow in Farnborough a conventionally designed three-beam study, but then you went back to a twin-engine, but overall increased design and used from then on, the term " S -21G " instead of " SSBJ ".
It was decided, inter alia, in Sukhoi for the development of a supersonic business jets, as this market segment has not been served and it was believed to others that one there showed off the experience of the military aircraft industry. The cooperation with Gulfstream was a one to reduce development risks and to access the experience of Gulfstream in Businessjetbereich can. The engine development should take place in collaboration between Rolls- Royce and Ljulka, with no afterburner should be used for environmental reasons. In order not to delay the project was even planned to use Su -27 Flanker in the initial tests, the Ljulka AL -31 engines of Sukhoi.
The division of the entire development was provided so that Sukhoi to develop, manufacture the airframe and certification in the former Soviet Union to take over while Gulfstream should be responsible for control system, avionics, cabin equipment and certification in the west. Sukhoi already conducted wind tunnel tests, so the planning went there about 1995 to start the first prototype. The main customers of the jet should be government agencies and companies who already operate high-priced business aircraft. After Gulfsteam Chairman Alan Paulson any company that could then operate a Gulfstream IV should also be able to afford a SSBJ. The purchase price on the Air Show in Paris, a value of 40-50 million U.S. $ was announced in 1991.
In the late 1990s Gulfstream left the cooperation again, as you probably assessed the prospects of success of the project as too low. It is unclear whether Sukhoi further pursued the program initially alone.
Construction
Technically, the S-21 was a relatively ambitious project: Man sought as a top speed Mach 2 at, including two or three engines should be used. Since all subsequent projects for supersonic business jets provide a lower top speed, it can be assumed that the speeds were either not viable or were even associated with technical difficulties. But would speaking, that, even after 20 years of the development of the S -21, no such pattern was still built or has been placed on the market.