Rhea Gundry, BCAD Noise Consultant

Airport Noise Abatement Committee Meeting

September 16, 2019

The Future of Supersonic Jets

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Introduction

History of Supersonic Flight

Noise Concerns

Proposed Technologies & Interested Manufacturers

Discussion/Questions

Outline / Agenda

Introduction

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A concept rendering of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet

Credit: Aerion, Retrieved May 29, 2019 from https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeing-invests-in-advanced-supersonic-business-jet/

A recent resurgence of interest in supersonic transportation (SST) air travel has:

Spurred R&D efforts by numerous new entrants and existing players on the SST field

The possibility of shortening long-haul business and commercial flights is fueling competition between aircraft manufacturers.

Introduction

Introduction - Continued

The major design challenges facing jet makers trying to bring supersonic aircraft to the market are:

1. Fuel efficiency

2. The sonic boom, perceived

noise and human

annoyance

• The diagram to the

right shows a simplified

version of a sonic boom

from a jet aircraftSupersonic Passenger Flights. Congressional Research Report. November 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20181114_R45404_f2dbdd12dbcfe1c2a2d0314ae8ac904b0d33f80e.pdf

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Introduction – The Concorde to Now

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History of Supersonic Flight

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History of Commercial Supersonic Aviation

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Six Concordes parked on tarmacCredit: British Airways, Retrieved May 29, 2019 from https://newatlas.com/concorde-50-years-first-flight/58609/#gallery

Since the Concorde’s retirement in 2003, no civilian supersonic aircraft in active service anywhere in the world.

Current regulations in many countries prohibit flight in excess of Mach 1 (approximately 767 mph) over land.

The Concorde, which flew commercially for 27 years beginning in 1969, is one of only two supersonic jets to operate commercially The Tupolev Tu-44 had a short stint in

1977-78

History of Supersonic Flight

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NASA’s Work & Regulatory Aspects

Noise Concerns

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Noise Concerns – NASAFrom sonic boom to sonic thump

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NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 program was conducted in November 2018:

To gauge community response, it utilized a NASA FA-18 Hornet to generate a series of sonic “thumps” over part of Galveston, Texas.

Media, industry experts, and the community were invited to participate in the response effort and share comments, questions and concerns

In the past 15 years, NASA and other industry stakeholders have been developing designs to minimize sonic boom noise

The goal is to reduce the ‘boom’ to a ‘thump’ or to eliminate it entirely.

The Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST(discussed later) will utilize design elements intended to address this goalof reducing the boom to a thump

Noise Concerns – NASA

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Regulatory concerns about the reintroduction of supersonic air travel include:

Drawbacks, specifically noise concerns relative to supersonic flight operations

Considerations of the implications on environmental noise for Regulatory agencies and airport operators

Concerns as to whether or not new supersonic jets will meet current ICAO noise certification levels

“A new generation of U.S.-produced commercial supersonic jets must be no louder than existing planes or risk exacerbating existing complaints over noise from air traffic.”

- Angela Gittens, director of Airports Council International (ACI)Lampert, Alison. May 15, 2019. Reuters. “Supersonic jets must be no noisier than existing planes: airports group”https://www.reuters.com/article/us-airplane-supersonic-airports-idUSKCN1SL2IF

Noise Concerns – Regulatory Aspects

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Jet makers are hopeful that the FAA’s 2020 proposed rules will be accepted by ICAO and are confident their jets will meet noise certification levels

ICAO (INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ASSOCIATION) Has committed to studying supersonic

jets but not creating new standards for them

FAA(FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION)

The FAA is working on proposed rules for noise certification of supersonic aircraft by 2020

Noise Concerns – Regulatory Aspects

Proposed Technologies & Interested Manufacturers

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Both established firms and new entrants in the aircraft and engine manufacturing arena have taken a strong interest in pioneering the next generation of air travel. These efforts include the following manufacturers:

Interested Manufacturers

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Aerion Corporation1 is currently developing a supersonic business tri-jet that they expect to put into service in 2025.

The AS2® will have the capability to operate at speeds up to Mach 1.5.

It has been designed to cruise overland at Mach 0.95 to 1.2. • Boomless Cruise (SM)

Aerion Corporation

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Boeing2 is actively investigating intended to reduce noise and increase overall aircraft structural configurations efficiency at supersonic speeds.

Numerous feasibility studies have been conducted into concepts such as: • Nacelle and engine mount reconfiguration

• Variable-geometry chevrons

• Integration of nonconventional vertical stabilizers

Boeing

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The company is currently constructing an experimental supersonic airframe, the XB-1, which will serve as a test-bed for much of the technology planned for integration into the airliner.

Boom Supersonic3 has secured pre-orders for multiple 55-seat supersonic business-class aircraft from Virgin Group and Japan Airlines.

These aircraft will carry passengers at speeds up to Mach 2.2 while producing a sonic boom “30 times quieter” than that of Concorde.

Boom Supersonic

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Spike Aerospace8 is developing the S-512 Supersonic Jet.

Will have the capability to carry up to 18 passengers over 6,200 nm at speeds up to Mach 1.6.

Spike states that it intends:• For the S-512 to comply with Stage 5

regulations at airports. • For the aircraft’s en-route sonic signature to

resemble that of a soft clap to observers on the ground.

Spike has not had a public profile and little is known about them beyond their website.

Spike Aerospace

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Lockheed is optimistic that the aircraft will not exceed 75 PLdB (perceived noise level) in supersonic flight.• Plans to use the X-59 to “collect community response data on the acceptability of

the quiet sonic boom generated by [the X-59’s] design...”

Lockheed Martin6 has partnered with NASA to build a supersonic test aircraft

Dubbed the “X-59 QueSST”, to be delivered in late 2021.

Designed with heavy emphasis on supersonic flight over the US mainland, which is currently prohibited.

Lockheed Martin

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GE Aviation4 recently revealed its CFM56-based Affinity™ Class of civilian supersonic jet engines, to be utilized in the Aerion AS2®, per a MOU with Aerion and Lockheed Martin.

GE plans to utilize and adapt the Affinity in future supersonic applications as well.

GE Aviation

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Rolls-Royce has the unique distinction ofbeing the only manufacturer to have experiencewith civilian supersonic propulsion.

Its Olympus engine line powered the Concorde and the company is in discussions with manufacturers for engine development.

ROLLS-ROYCE

Gulfstream holds several patents for noise reduction & efficiency measures in supersonic aircraft

In collaboration with NASA, Gulfstream developed the “Quiet Spike” nose extension

It generates its own shockwaves at supersonic speeds, smaller than those of a non-equipped aircraft, resulting in less-intrusive noise events on the ground

GULFSTREAM

Other R&D – Gulfstream and Rolls-Royce

Discussion/Questions

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“Aerion AS2®.” https://www.aerionsupersonic.com/.

Moore, Matthew, Kelly Boren, Edward Marques, and Justin Lan. Aircraft Configuration. US Patent 20120091270, filed April 19, 2012, and issued January 2014, 14.

“Supersonic Flight and the Environment.” Boom Supersonic. https://boomsupersonic.com/contact#faq-section.

“GE’s Affinity: The First Civil Supersonic Engine in 55 Years.” GE Aviation. https://www.geaviation.com/press-release/business-general-aviation/ge’s-affinity-first-civil-supersonic-engine-55-years-– .

Trautvetter, Chad. “Gulfstream Continues Supersonic Business Jet Research.” Aviation International News. December 06, 2016. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-12-06/gulfstream-continues-supersonic-business-jet-research .

“X-59 QueSST.” Lockheed Martin. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/quesst.html .

“The Spike S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet.” Spike Aerospace. March 12, 2018. http://www.spikeaerospace.com/s-512-supersonic-jet/ .

“Supersonic Flight and the Environment.” Spike Aerospace. August 30, 2018. http://www.spikeaerospace.com/supersonic-flight-and-the-environment/ .

Gipson, Lillian. “Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018.” NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/QSF18 .

Airplane Noise Standards, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/10/04/2017-21092/stage-5-airplane-noise-standards § ICAO Annex 16, Volume I, Chapter 14/Stage 5.

Lampert, Allison. “Aerion’s Supersonic Business Jet to Meet U.S. Noise Standards.” Reuters. October 15, 2018. https://www.reuters.com/article/aerospace-businessjets-supersonic/aerions-supersonic-business-jet-to-meet-us-noise-standards-idUSL2N1WU05Y .

Noise Standards: Aircraft Type and Airworthiness Certification, https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=848a71308ceac7a9cc4798db08de4dac&n=14y1.0.1.3.19&r=PART&ty=HTML § 14 C.F.R. Part 36.

Civil Aircraft Sonic Boom, https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=14:2.0.1.3.10#se14.2.91_1817 § 14 C.F.R. § 91.817

“Supersonic Aircraft Noise Standards Development.” ICAO Environment. https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Pages/Supersonic-Aircraft-Noise-Standards-Development.aspx.

Sources

Questions?

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