Posted on 06/19/2007 8:17:08 AM PDT by Freeport
Aerion has enlarged the cabin of its supersonic business jet as it continues to fine tune the design in a bid to reassure potential manufacturing partners that the aircraft will achieve its weight and performance targets.
Reno, Nevada-based Aerion says it is refining the design and business case in an effort to present manufacturers with "a profitable programme that can move swiftly into full-scale engineering and prototype development".
An investor group headed by billionaire Robert Bass is funding initial design and planning while Aerion looks for industrial and financial partners to bear the $2 billion cost of development, which is expected to take five years.
Citing interest from fleet operators, including fractional ownership and aircraft management companies, Aerion says it has held discussions with a number of manufacturers.
"The interest is there," says chief financial officer James Stewart. "Manufacturers must weigh the Aerion against other ongoing of anticipated programmes."
Meanwhile the forward fuselage has been reshaped to increase cabin height and width and improve the cockpit and windshield design.
The aft fuselage has been stretched and the tail shrunk to improve take-off performance and reduce weight and cruise drag.
Electrical and pneumatic system architectures have been studied in conjunction with United Technologies, while fuel system layout and sizing has been performed by Argo-Tech under contract to Aerion.
Engine reliability, operability and noise have been studied with Pratt & Whitney, manufacturer of the aircraft's JT8D-219 turbofans, and Aerion says the inlet and nozzle designs are ready for a series of subscale noise and performance validation tests.
Aerion has still to decide how to validate the design tools developed to predict the extent of supersonic natural laminar flow achieved in flight, and critical to meeting the performance targets.
(Excerpt) Read more at flightglobal.com ...
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That surprises me. I know the JT8D-2xx series are very good workhorse engines, but why wouldn’t the USAF go with more modern high-bypass CFMs when they re-engine the E-3 and E-8? That’s what they put on the KC-135, I think. Not to mention the fact that CFMs are still being manufactured.
Don’t get me wrong, I love JT8Ds. I have a weakness for 727s. :) And I like hearing the MD-88s blast off from RDU when I’m near the airport.
}:-)4
The JT8D-2xx are cheaper, and they require almost no modification of the aircraft. Supposedly the CFM-56 can interfere with the radar pattern of the AWACS, but the French, British, and Saudi air forces all fly AWACS with CFM-56 engines.
As far as I know, there is no way to make a sonic boom “quiet.”
Pratt & Whitney's JT8D-219 model is a derivative of one of the world's most popular commercial jet engine, the JT8D. The JT8D-200 model covers the 18,500- to 21,700-pound thrust range and is the exclusive power for MD-80 aircraft and the Super 27 re-engining program. More than 1,100 aircraft are in service with JT8D-200 power.
For military installations such as Joint STARS, KC-135 tanker and AWACS, the JT8D-219 offers excellent performance and cost-saving opportunities. The engine offers lower infrared signature and radar interference, shorter takeoff distance, and a faster and steeper climb than other engines in its class. They are fuel-efficient for gains in time-on-station and fuel offload – key mission requirements for these installations – while meeting commercial engine noise and emissions regulations. And not only does the JT8D have the lowest maintenance costs in its thrust class, the engine installation requires no significant aircraft modifications because the engine has the same weight and center of gravity as the JT3D and TF33 engines, making it an attractive low-cost re-engining candidate.
For the same reason this didn't:
A very thin wing of this shape turns out to be just about perfect for supersonic flight.
What I'm wondering about is the aerodynamic purpose of the inward notch at the base of the wing.
The best market might be rich third world countries which want a supresonic light bomber. While I can see a small market for these for the super-rich, I can’t see them selling enough for it to be economially viable.
Oh teh n0esss!!!!!!
Not only is the OHC hydraulic fluid leaking, but the blue stuff is leaking out of the toilets, as well !!!!
;)
can’t please everyone! Some like the look of leaky planes.
If the production of the sonic boom is related to the air passing over the body, relative to its size, I wonder if that notch might be something to help mitigate the boom?
what do I know; I might have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express, but that trip didn't cover supersonic aerodynamics.
I'm not an aerodynamics expert, but I do know (socially) Dr. Richard Tracy, and he's not averse to answering questions about his pet project. Dr. Tracy is the Chief Technology Officer of Aerion, and he invented the supersonic, natural laminar flow wing that it uses.
Aerion is not the only company developing a SuperSonic Business Jet (SSBJ), but their's uses the least esoteric technology (and would cost the least to buy and operate). This means that they can get to market first, if they can put together a team of development partners to build it. The multi-billionaire backing this project, isn't rich enough to do it all on his own.
Aerion isn't relying on changes in FCC regulations. The plane is designed to fly most efficiently at about Mach 1.4, and with similar efficiency, just below Mach 1.0. This subsonic speed is significantly faster than existing business jets, and its costs should be comparable. Not surprisingly, many potential buyers are interested, but the company needs to figure out how to get the plane built, first.
Aerion's wing bears a slight resemblance to the wing on the F-104 Starfighter (created in the 1950s). The Starfighter wing, however, was not a supersonic, natural laminar flow design.
This plane will not be "boomless", but will have a significantly milder signature (more of a mild thump). Most supersonic aircraft have two major compression zones (resulting in two loud "booms"). This plane creates much less compression, at supersonic speeds, and this compression is spread out more along the length of the airplane. This creates a much quieter (and less abrupt) sound. It also allows the plane to use much less fuel at supersonic speeds.
I’ll bet that sucker puts tons of pressure on the rear wheels at takeoff rotation.
I’m sure an airline made a lot more filling a slower 707 than a fast concord, so now we have the B777 and soon, the B787. Still, there are a lot of people who can afford to fly the concord wish it was still around as they don’t like the long trip across the ocean. I’m sure there’s a place for this plane in the market. The closest thing to it is a Citation X. They get pretty close to cruising at Mach 1.
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