Opinion: HyperMach’s success is not about engineering. It is about money
Building an aircraft that flies has less to do with aerodynamics or engines than it does with money or regulatory approval.
Building an aircraft that flies has less to do with aerodynamics or engines than it does with money or regulations.
Many great engineers have conceived fantastic models and built experimental aircraft, but launching a successful aircraft programme requires large amounts of cash, luck, good timing and boring things like product support.
You have to admire HyperMach’s management team ambition – and they have strong backgrounds in aviation – but their biggest challenge will not be engineering ones, it will be finding investors prepared to back them in the long-term. In the last 40 years, the only company that has successfully broken into business aviation is Embraer (although high things are expected of Honda).
SinoSwearijen, Adam Air, Eclipse all failed because of money. Adam burnt $141 million of investor’s money and Eclipse lost over $100 million.
We would love it if HyperMach is successful. We admire their bravery and wish them every success. But history is not on their side.
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