The Hoops on the Way to a Supersonic Business Jet: Performance Drivers for a Commercially Viable Product

摘要

Much effort is being devoted to tackling the problem of minimization of the sonic boom, a fundamental basis for any return of supersonic civilian flight. There are other important environmental considerations in need of consideration such as emissions, noise, effects on the upper atmosphere, etc. However, the emphasis on these design requirements should not be without consideration of the key parameters that drive the performance of the aircraft, in particular, in the areas of aerodynamics, structures, weights and propulsion. This paper investigates the importance and influence of each of the above performance drivers, together with their sensitivities, and puts them in context of what would be needed to arrive at a quiet configuration. Values for the current state of the art are also presented and discussed. The information contained here should serve as a basis for identifying the technologies that need to be advanced and prioritized to make a commercially viable supersonic business jet possible.