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Oblique-Flying-Wing Supersonic Transport Airplane
Oblique-flying-wing supersonic airplane proposed as possible alternative to B747B (or equivalent). Tranports passengers and cargo as fast as twice speed of sound at same cost as current subsonic transports. Flies at same holding speeds as present supersonic transports but requires only half takeoff distance.
Impact of changing fuel characteristics on supersonic cruise airplane
The question of an advanced supersonic cruise research airplane is related to future oil supplies and prices. Technical data on the impact of changing fuel characteristics on the SCR airplane were developed. Projections of crude oil characteristics typical of the 1985 to 2000 time period were made with the help of consultants to the oil industry. Refineries for the future were modeled to establish jet fuel of engine and aircraft systems for future airplanes, with emphasis on supersonic cruise airplanes. Study results do not show a need for broadening the fuel specification. Hypothetical study fuels with broader specifications were defined, however, as was the impact of their properties on the SCR airplane and systems.
Wind-tunnel/flight correlation study of aerodynamic characteristics of a large flexible supersonic cruise airplane (XB-701) 2: Extrapolation of wind-tunnel data to full-scale conditions
The results of calculations necessary to extrapolate performance data on an XB-70-1 wind tunnel model to full scale at Mach numbers from 0.76 to 2.53 are presented. The extrapolation was part of a joint program to evaluate performance prediction techniques for large flexible supersonic airplanes similar to a supersonic transport. The extrapolation procedure included: interpolation of the wind tunnel data at the specific conditions of the flight test points; determination of the drag increments to be applied to the wind tunnel data, such as spillage drag, boundary layer trip drag, and skin friction increments; and estimates of the drag items not represented on the wind tunnel model, such as bypass doors, roughness, protuberances, and leakage drag. In addition, estimates of the effects of flexibility of the airplane were determined.
Effect of automatic stabilization on the lateral oscillatory stability of a hypothetical airplane at supersonic speeds
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Flight-measured lift and drag characteristics of a large, flexible, high supersonic cruise airplane
Flight measurements of lift, drag, and angle of attack were obtained for the XB-70 airplane, a large, flexible, high supersonic cruise airplane. This airplane had a length of over 57 meters, a takeoff gross mass of over 226,800 kilograms, and a design cruise speed of Mach 3 at an altitude of 21,340 meters. The performance measurements were made at Mach numbers from 0.72 to 3.07 and altitudes from approximately 7620 meters to 21,340 meters. The measurements were made to provide data for evaluating the techniques presently being used to design and predict the performance of aircraft in this category. Such performance characteristics as drag polars, lift-curve slopes, and maximum lift-to-drag ratios were derived from the flight data. The base drag of the airplane, changes in airplane drag with changes in engine power setting at transonic speeds, and the magnitude of the drag components of the propulsion system are also discussed.
Feasibility and benefits of laminar flow control on supersonic cruise airplanes
An evaluation was made of the applicability and benefits of laminar flow control (LFC) technology to supersonic cruise airplanes. Ancillary objectives were to identify the technical issues critical to supersonic LFC application, and to determine how those issues can be addressed through flight and wind-tunnel testing. Vehicle types studied include a Mach 2.2 supersonic transport configuration, a Mach 4.0 transport, and two Mach 2-class fighter concepts. Laminar flow control methodologies developed for subsonic and transonic wing laminarization were extended and applied. No intractible aerodynamic problems were found in applying LFC to airplanes of the Mach 2 class, even ones of large size. Improvements of 12 to 17 percent in lift-drag ratios were found. Several key technical issues, such as contamination avoidance and excresence criteria were identified. Recommendations are made for their resolution. A need for an inverse supersonic wing design methodology is indicated.
An aerodynamic assessment of various supersonic fighter airplanes based on Soviet design concepts
The aerodynamic, stability, and control characteristics of several supersonic fighter airplane concepts were assessed. The configurations include fixed-wing airplanes having delta wings, swept wings, and trapezoidal wings, and variable wing-sweep airplanes. Each concept employs aft tail controls. The concepts vary from lightweight, single engine, air superiority, point interceptor, or ground attack types to larger twin-engine interceptor and reconnaissance designs. Results indicate that careful application of the transonic or supersonic area rule can provide nearly optimum shaping for minimum drag for a specified Mach number requirement. Through the proper location of components and the exploitation of interference flow fields, the concepts provide linear pitching moment characteristics, high control effectiveness, and reasonably small variations in aerodynamic center location with a resulting high potential for maneuvering capability. By careful attention to component shaping and location and through the exploitation of local flow fields, favorable roll-to-yaw ratios may result and a high degree of directional stability can be achieved.
STABILITY AND CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS AT A MACH NUMBER OF 2.01 OF A SUPERSONIC VTOL AIRPLANE MODEL HAVING A BROAD FUSELAGE AND SMALL DELTA WINGS
Stability and control of supersonic vtol airplane model having broad fuselage and small delta wing
Integrated Flight-propulsion Control Concepts for Supersonic Transport Airplanes
Integration of propulsion and flight control systems will provide significant performance improvements for supersonic transport airplanes. Increased engine thrust and reduced fuel consumption can be obtained by controlling engine stall margin as a function of flight and engine operating conditions. Improved inlet pressure recovery and decreased inlet drag can result from inlet control system integration. Using propulsion system forces and moments to augment the flight control system and airplane stability can reduce the flight control surface and tail size, weight, and drag. Special control modes may also be desirable for minimizing community noise and for emergency procedures. The overall impact of integrated controls on the takeoff gross weight for a generic high speed civil transport is presented.
Aerodynamic characteristics of supersonic fighter airplane configurations based on Soviet design concepts
The aerodynamic, stability, and control characteristics of several supersonic fighter airplane concepts are examined. The configurations, which are based on Soviet design concepts, include fixed-wing aircraft having delta wings, swept wings, and trapezoidal wings, and a variable wing-sweep aircraft. Each concept employs aft tail controls. The concepts vary from lightweight, single-engine, air superiority, point interceptor, or ground attack types to larger twin-engine interceptor and reconnaissance designs. Analytical and experimental results indicate that careful application of the transonic or supersonic area rule can provide nearly optimum shaping for minimum drag for a specified Mach number requirement. In addition, through the proper location of components and the exploitation of interference flow fields, the concepts provide linear pitching moment characteristics, high control effectiveness, and reasonably small variations in aerodynamic center location with a resulting high potential for maneuvering capability.
Design aspects of long range supersonic LFC airplanes with highly swept wings
Studies on supersonic long-range LFC (laminar flow control) aircraft were performed with the aim of maximizing L/D and alleviating sonic boom during supersonic cruise. It is found that configurations with highly swept LFC wings of very high structural aspect ratio, with the sweep increasing toward the wing root and braced externally by wide chord laminarized struts, appear especially promising. In the supersonic cruise design condition the wing upper surface isobars are swept such that the flow in the direction normal to them is transonic with embedded supersonic zones and practically shock-free over most of the span, with M-perpendicular equal to the two-dimensional design values of advanced SC LFC airfoils, e.g., of the X-787 or X-6 type.
Investigation of aerodynamic characteristics at high subsonic speeds of two supersonic- cruise airplane configurations having tail surfaces outboard of the wing tips
Subsonic stability and control characteristics of two outboard-tail supersonic-cruise airplane configurations
Ground Measurements of the Shock-Wave Noise from Supersonic Bomber Airplanes in the Altitude Range from 30,000 to 50,000 Feet
Shock-wave ground-pressure measurements have been made for supersonic bomber airplanes in the Mach number range from 1.24 to 1.52, for altitudes from about 30,000 to 50,000 feet, and for a gross-weight range from about 83,000 to 120,000 pounds. The measured overpressures were generally higher than would be predicted by the theory which accounts only for volume effects. There is thus a suggestion that lift effects on sonic-boom intensity may be significant for this type of airplane for the altitude range of the present tests.
PILOTED SIMULATOR STUDIES PERTAINING TO THE LOW-SPEED LONGITUDINAL HANDLING QUALITIES OF A SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT AIRPLANE
Low-speed longitudinal handling qualities of supersonic transport aircraft obtained from a piloted simulator
Fatigue of titanium alloys in a supersonic-cruise airplane environment
The test programs conducted by several aerospace companies and NASA, summarized in this paper, studied several titanium materials previously identified as having high potential for application to supersonic cruise airplane structures. These studies demonstrate that the temperature (560 K) by itself produced no significant degradation of the materials. However, the fatigue resistance of titanium-alloy structures, in which thermal and loading effects are combined, has been studied insufficiently. The predominant topic for future study of fatigue problems in Mach 3 structures should be the influences of thermal stress particularly, the effects of thermal stress on failure location.
Surface pressure data for a supersonic-cruise airplane configuration at Mach numbers of 2.30, 2.96, 3.30
The tabulated results of surface pressure tests conducted on the wing and fuselage of an airplane model in the Langley Unitary Plan wind tunnel are presented without analysis. The model tested was that of a supersonic-cruise airplane with a highly swept arrow-wing planform, two engine nacelles mounted beneath the wing, and outboard vertical tails. Data were obtained at Mach numbers of 2.30, 2.96, and 3.30 for angles of attack from -4 deg to 12 deg. The Reynolds number for these tests was 6,560,000 per meter.
Analysis of the turbojet engine for propulsion of supersonic fighter airplanes / David S. Gabriel, Richard P. Krebs, E.Clinton Wilcox, Stanley L.Koutz
An analytical investigation was made of two supersonic interceptor type airplanes to determine the most desirable turbojet engine characteristics for this application The airplanes were designed differently primarily because of the amount of subsonic flight incorporated in the flight plan--one flight having none and the other, a cruise radius of 400 nautical miles. Several power plant design variables were varied independently to determine the effect of changes in each parameter on airplane performance. These parameters included compressor pressure ratio, compressor efficiency, turbine-inlet temperature, afterburner temperature, engine specific weight, and air-handling capacity. The effects of using a convergent-divergent exhaust nozzle and of changing the design flight Mach number were also investigated.