FUSELAGE SHAPING AND INCLUSION OF SPIKE ON A SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT FOR CONTROLLING AND REDUCING SONIC BOOM

摘要

Method and apparatus for configuring and operating an aircraft (120) forminimizing sonic boom effects (180) at ground level (GL) during supersonicflight including configuring the aircraft so that in flight, with landing gearretracted, a lower aircraft profile (160) is substantially linear or slightlyconcave downward. A nose portion (162) of the aircraft is arranged so that anapex (163) thereof is coincident with the lower profile of the aircraft. Theaircraft is flown at supersonic speed and oriented during supersonic flight sothat the substantially linear lower profile of the aircraft is orientedsubstantially parallel to onset airflow (166). Weak pressure disturbances(168) are generated below the aircraft, and waves thereof are radiated belowthe aircraft toward the ground. These disturbances below the aircraft are oflesser magnitude than pressure disturbances (170) simultaneously generated andradiated above the aircraft. The weak pressure disturbances generated belowthe aircraft are controlled to minimized ground level sonic boom effects.