Advanced High-Speed Aircraft (Part 4 Of

Chapter II ADVANCED HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFT: THE NEXT 30 YEARS Air transport technology is entering a new evolutionary phase. Both American and Euro- ; pean manufacturers are midway in the development of the next generation of subsonic jet- liners, a first step along a path to create more <v energy-efficient equipment for the air carriers. The pattern is being established by the Boeing Company’s 757 short-range transport and medium-range 767 and in Europe by the Airbus In- dustrie's A-310, another new medium-range aircraft, all scheduled for introduction into service,,:,J-:,.,/, , -~ ‘ during 1981 to 1983. New long-range aircraft, “ , ‘” ‘“*% “-” including derivatives of present models, are expected to be introduced later in the decade by a Photo credlf. A/rbus Industne number of manufacturers. Airbus Industrie's A-310 These new models are incorporating what the industry calls “phased improvements” in tech- provement in fuel efficiency over the decade to nology covering materials, manufacturing tech- offset rising energy costs. Further substantial niques, aerodynamics, cockpit automation, and technological advances are expected in the propulsion. The goal is a 15- to 20-percent im- 1990’s and beyond the year 2000. Photo credit: Boeing A/rcraft Co Boeing’s 767 medium-range transport 21 22 ● Advanced High-Speed Aircraft OUTLOOK FOR NEW AIRCRAFT TYPES Intercontinental versions of these aircraft, Under the evolutionary approach, there will designated as advanced subsonic transports be no quantum jump in size or performance, (ASUBTs), probably will carry between 200 and such as occurred with the widebody jets intro- 400 passengers, being sized to replace 707s and duced in the early 1970’s, to greatly increase DC-85, which will be 30 years old by 1990, and productivity (the number of seat-miles gener- to fill market gaps between these early jets and ated by an aircraft per unit of time). Instead, the the present generation of widebody aircraft. The ASUBTs will contain improvements leading range of the ASUBTs will be about the same as toward reduced operating costs. The industry the present long-range jets or slightly greater— considers it possible over the long run to obtain up to 6,500 nautical miles at cruising speeds of fuel consumption rates in the ASUBTs that are up to 600 mph (Mach 0.85).1 20 to 30 percent better per seat-mile than the 2,450 Btu per seat-mile typical of today’s widebody jets. IJ. M. Swihart, The Boeitlg New Airplane Family, paper pre- sented to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Total operating costs (in constant dollars) 15th annual meeting, Washington, D. C., Feb. 6, 1979. could be perhaps 10 to 20 percent below those of , -. Photo credit: American A/r//nes Boeing 707 transport the most efficient aircraft now in service, even productive only on routes with extremely high with increased fuel prices. High-bypass-ratio passenger travel densities. At present, no esti- engines and noise suppression materials used in mates are available as to when there will be a inlets and ducts will allow quieter operation sufficient number of high-density routes to war- over a wide range of power settings to increase rant undertaking the development of such an environmental acceptance.23 aircraft. Beyond 1990, further development of subsonic aircraft is possible and, therefore, so is the A further option would be the development of continuation of the trend toward more fuel-effi- an advanced supersonic transport (AST), a sec- cient, economic, and environmentally accept- ond-generation aircraft with performance capa- able aircraft. These aircraft might be derivations bilities substantially better than those of the of the ASUBTs introduced in the 1980’s or might British-French Concorde and the Soviet TU-144. be of an entirely new design. There is also a An AST operating at more than twice the speed possibility that very large advanced aircraft of sound (Mach 2 + ) offers the only remaining (400 to 800 passengers) will be developed to pro- path to significantly greater aircraft productivi- vide service on high-density transcontinental ty. It could haul twice the number of passengers and transoceanic routes. as a subsonic airliner of equivalent size in the The demand for very large aircraft, however, same time period. There are major questions, is likely to be restricted because they could be however, whether it is possible to create an AST that is both economically viable and environmentally acceptable. These questions are ana- ‘Ibid., pp. 1, 4-5. ‘OTA Working Paper, Lockheed-California Co., Feb. 5, 1979. lyzed at length later in this study. 60-285 0 - 8J - 3 24 ● Advanced High-Speed Aircraft sonic aircraft, the knowledge base is small com- pared to the status of knowledge in the supersonic area. The technical problems and requirements of a hypersonic transport, although more extensive and severe, do contain all the requirements of a supersonic aircraft. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that supersonic technology readiness must be achieved before hypersonic technology readiness and that any decision to leapfrog the supersonic system for a hypersonic aircraft should come after supersonic technology readiness is achieved. A similar situation exists for suborbital flight. Although technology advances appropriate to this type of flight could come from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle program, it is doubtful that this Looking beyond an AST to the prospects of technical base could be translated into a sub- hypersonic cruise aircraft coming into commer- orbital commercial passenger airplane within cial service, the consensus of those involved in the 1980-2010 time frame for this study. this study was that it will not happen before 2010. This judgment is based on the present As indicated, the consensus decision to delete status of knowledge of the hypersonic regime, the hypersonic and suborbital commercial the time it would take to obtain a state of tech- transports from the current study was made on nology readiness to design such a craft, plus the practical considerations. This decision by no time needed to go through a development cycle means implies that research should not continue to produce one. Although research has been in these areas in order to determine the potential conducted on problems associated with hyper- of such aircraft. Illustration’ Courtesy of Lockheed Aircraft Corp. Artist’s concept of Lockheed’s hypersonic cruise aircraft Ch. II—Advanced High-Speed Aircraft The Next 30 Years ● 25 WORLD REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW AIRCRAFT Perhaps one of the more surprising develop- needs for fuel that is becoming increasingly ments during 1979, in view of economic uncer- more expensive. If traffic growth holds up, so tainties, continuing inflation, and an energy wiIl the market for new aircraft. Both the air- supply picture clouded by unrest in Iran and ris- craft manufacturers and the airlines agree an in- ing oil prices, was the placement of multibillion crease in passenger-carrying capacity already is dollar orders for the 757, 767, and A-310 by the indicated for mature travel markets over the air carriers. Boeing’s sales for the year increased next decade, particularly for short- to medium- to an unprecedented $12 billion, according to range routes. company estimates. Moreover, these orders were booked in the face of an expected U.S. eco- Thus, based on current trends and projec- nomic recession in 1980 and at a time when the tions, there is a potential market over the long-range effects of passenger fare deregulation 1980-2010 period for 6,500 to 8,500 short- and on airline revenues are far from clear. medium-range aircraft, both additional and re- placement. This part of the market could mean Underlying the airlines’ decision to order hun- sales totaling $235 billion in 1979 dollars. Over dreds of new planes are projections for con- the same 30-year period, the potential market tinued strong growth in air travel demand. An- for long-range aircraft (more than 2,700 nauti- nual traffic growth has averaged 11 percent cal miles) is estimated at 2,200 to 3,300 units since 1977 and hit 15.6 percent in the first half of with a sales volume of $150 billion. Should a 1979. While industry analysts expect a recession successful AST be developed, it is believed it to hold growth to only 2 percent in 1980, they could capture about one-third of the dollar vol- are forecasting an average annual traffic expan- ume of this market with sales of about 400 air- sion of 7 percent through 1990. craft between 1990 and 2010. But many techni- If air traffic increases by only 6 percent annu- cal problems and other uncertainties need to be ally on average, passenger-miles over the next overcome in the near term before it is possible to 30 years would quadruple. A potential also ex- contemplate whether an AST is indeed feasible ists for a doubling of present airline route-miles in all respects. in this period as more areas of the world, such To gain an appreciation of the magnitude of as the Orient, are opened to commercial traffic. the difficulties—and the scope of the issues—it These projections assume that there will be no is instructive to review briefly the short history major disruptions in the growth of the world of supersonic flight programs in the United economy and that the airlines, along with other States and abroad and to look at where super- transportation sectors, will be able to meet their sonic technology stands today. BEGINNINGS OF SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT–THE CONCORDE In the late 1950’s, commercial aircraft design- would be a civilian derivative of the XB-70 ers began turning their attention to passenger bomber which was later canceled.

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