An experimental investigation of a Mach 3.0 high-speed civil transport at supersonic speeds

An experimental study was conducted to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of a proposed high speed civil transport. This configuration was designed to cruise at Mach 3.0 and sized to carry 250 passengers for 6500 n.mi. The configuration consists of a highly blended wing body and features a blunt parabolic nose planform, a highly swept inboard wing panel, a moderately swept outboard wing panel, and a curved wingtip. Wind tunnel tests were conducted in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel on a 0.0098-scale model. Force, moment, and pressure data were obtained for Mach numbers ranging from 1.6 to 3.6 and at angles of attack ranging from -4 to 10 deg. Extensive flow visualization studies (vapor screen and oil flow) were obtained in the experimental program. Both linear and advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) theoretical comparisons are shown to assess the ability to predict forces, moments, and pressures on configurations of this type. In addition, an extrapolation of the wind tunnel data, based on empirical principles, to full-scale conditions is compared with the theoretical aerodynamic predictions

Concept development of a Mach 4 high-speed civil transport

A study was conducted to configure and analyze a 250 passenger, Mach 4 High Speed Civil Transport with a design range of 6500 n.mi. The design mission assumed an all-supersonic cruise segment and no community noise or sonic boom constraints. The study airplane was developed in order to examine the technology requirements for such a vehicle and to provide an unconstrained baseline from which to assess changes in technology levels, sonic boom limits, or community noise constraints in future studies. The propulsion, structure, and materials technologies utilized in the sizing of the study aircraft were assumed to represent a technology availability date of 2015. The study airplane was a derivative of a previously developed Mach 3 concept and utilized advanced afterburning turbojet engines and passive airframe thermal protection. Details of the configuration development, aerodynamic design, propulsion system, mass properties, and mission performance are presented. The study airplane was estimated to weigh approx. 866,000 lbs. Although an aircraft of this size is a marginally acceptable candidate to fit into the world airport infrastructure, it was concluded that the inclusion of community noise or sonic boom constraints would quickly cause the aircraft to grow beyond acceptable limits using the assumed technology levels