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Home , Aerion, Aerion AS2, Concorde, Jet aircraft, Quiet Spike, Sonic boom

The Future of Supersonic Jets Rhea Gundry, BCAD Noise Consultant

Airport Noise Abatement Committee Meeting September 16, 2019 Outline / Agenda

. Introduction . History of Supersonic . Noise Concerns . Proposed Technologies & Interested Manufacturers . Discussion/Questions

2 Introduction

3 Introduction

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 is fueling competition between manufacturers.

A concept rendering of the AS2 supersonic Credit: Aerion, Retrieved May 29, 2019 from https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing- /boeing-invests-in-advanced-supersonic-business-jet/

4 Introduction - Continued

. The major design challenges facing jet makers trying to bring to the market are: 1. Fuel efficiency 2. The , perceived noise and human annoyance • The diagram to the right shows a simplified version of a sonic boom

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

5 Introduction – The to Now

6 History of Supersonic Flight

7 History of Commercial Supersonic

8 History of Supersonic Flight

. 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 Tu-44 had a short stint in 1977-78 Six parked on tarmac Credit: , Retrieved May 29, 2019 from https://newatlas.com/concorde-50-years-first- flight/58609/#gallery

9 Noise Concerns

NASA’s Work & Regulatory Aspects

10 Noise Concerns – NASA From sonic boom to sonic thump

11 Noise Concerns – NASA

In the past 15 years, NASA and other NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 industry stakeholders have been program was conducted in November developing designs to minimize sonic 2018: boom noise . To gauge community response, it . The goal is to reduce the ‘boom’ to a utilized a NASA FA-18 Hornet to ‘thump’ or to eliminate it entirely. generate a series of sonic “thumps” over part of Galveston, Texas. . The X-59 QueSST (discussed later) will utilize design . Media, industry experts, and the elements intended to address this goal community were invited to participate of reducing the boom to a thump in the response effort and share comments, questions and concerns

12 Noise Concerns – Regulatory Aspects

Regulatory concerns about the “A new generation of U.S.- reintroduction of supersonic air produced commercial supersonic travel include: jets must be no louder than . Drawbacks, specifically noise concerns existing planes or risk exacerbating relative to supersonic flight operations existing complaints over noise from . Considerations of the implications on air traffic.” environmental noise for Regulatory - Angela Gittens, director of Council agencies and operators International (ACI)

Lampert, Alison. May 15, 2019. Reuters. “Supersonic jets must be no noisier than existing planes: . Concerns as to whether or not new airports group”https://www.reuters.com/article/us-airplane-supersonic-airports-idUSKCN1SL2IF supersonic jets will meet current ICAO noise certification levels

13 Noise Concerns – Regulatory Aspects FAA ICAO (FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION) (INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION) . The FAA is working on proposed . Has committed to studying supersonic rules for noise certification of jets but not creating new standards supersonic aircraft by 2020 for them

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

14 Proposed Technologies & Interested Manufacturers

15 Interested Manufacturers

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

16 Aerion Corporation

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)

17 Boeing

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: • and engine mount reconfiguration • Variable-geometry chevrons • Integration of nonconventional vertical stabilizers

18 Boom Supersonic

Boom Supersonic3 has secured pre- orders for multiple 55-seat supersonic business-class aircraft from Virgin Group and Japan . . These aircraft will carry passengers at speeds up to Mach 2.2 while producing a sonic boom “30 times quieter” than that of Concorde. The company is currently constructing an experimental supersonic , the XB-1, which will serve as a test-bed for much of the technology planned for integration into the .

19 Spike Aerospace

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.

20 Lockheed Martin

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 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...”

21 GE Aviation

GE Aviation4 recently revealed its CFM56-based Affinity™ Class of civilian supersonic jet , 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.

22 Other R&D – Gulfstream and Rolls-Royce

GULFSTREAM ROLLS-ROYCE Gulfstream holds Rolls-Royce has the several patents for unique distinction of noise reduction & being the only efficiency measures manufacturer to in supersonic have experience aircraft with civilian supersonic propulsion. In collaboration with NASA, Gulfstream . Its Olympus engine line powered the developed the “” nose extension Concorde and the company is in . It generates its own shockwaves at supersonic discussions with manufacturers for speeds, smaller than those of a non-equipped engine development. aircraft, resulting in less-intrusive noise events on the ground

23 Discussion/Questions

24 Sources

“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 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 . 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 .

25 Questions?

26 9/17/2019