NASA CONTRACTOR NASA CR-2424 REPORT CM AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF STOL AIRCRAFT POTENTIAL INCLUDING TERMINAL AREA ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS Volume I by H. L. Solomon and S. Sokolsky Prepared by THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION El Segundo, Calif. for Ames Research Center NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION • WASHINGTON, D. C. • MAY 1974 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. NASA CR -2b2k 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date "An Economic Assessment of STOL Aircraft Potential Including MAY 197^ Terminal Area Environmental Considerations" Volume I 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. H. L. Solomon and S. Sokolsky 10. Work Unit No. 9. Performing Organization Name and Address The Aerospace Corporation 11. Contract or Grant No. El Segundo; California NAS 2-6473 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Contractor Report 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Final Report National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D.C. .„ 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 1 5. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract This report presents the results of an economic and environmental study of short haul airline systems using short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. The STOL system characteristics were .optimized for maximum patronage at a specified return on investment, while maintaining noise impact compatibility with the terminal area. Supporting studies of aircraft air pollution and .hub airport icongestion relief were also performed. The STOL concept specified for this study was an Augmentor Wing turbofan aircraft having a field length capability of 2,000 ft. and an effective perceived noise level of 95 EPNdB at. 500 ft. sideline distance. Commercial operation was simulated between major city pairs of the California. Corridor, Midwest Triangle and Northeast Corridor in the 1980 time frame. Results are published in 2 volumes. Volume I presents an economic and environmental assessment of the defined STOL system and a summary of the methodology, STOL system characteristics and arena characteristics. Volume II amplifies the description of the methodology, STOL system characteristics and arena characteristics, and presents supplemental results of economic simulations at the city-pair level. Results show that economic viability can be achieved with vehicle capacities between 100 and 200 passengers with essentially the same level of patronage. A patronage drop of 35% was realized for 50 passenger vehicles. Significant increases in air travel were obtained in the Midwest Triangle and Northeast Corridor, but not in the California Corridor which currently has lower intrastate air fares. At 95 EPNdB, the STOL aircraft had no difficulty maintaining noise compatibility with land adjacent to the air fields. The improved engine technology yielded significantly lower air pollution than is realized with current aircraft. 17. Key Words (Suggested by Author(s)) J8. Distribution Statement Short-Haul Air Transportation STOL Aircraft ..'.: ( STOL Economics UNCLASSIFIED-UNLIMITED STOL Environmental Impact . ; • CAT. 02 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Ctassif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price* UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 124 4.50 * For sale by the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151 AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF STOL AIRCRAFT POTENTIAL INCLUDING TERMINAL AREA ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS VOLUME I Page Intentionally Left Blank FOREWORD This report is published in two volumes. Volume I presents the findings in seven sections: Summary Introduction Approach STOL System Characteristics Arena Descriptions Results Conclusions Volume II contains appendices with supporting reference data and methodology as follows: Appendix A: STOL System Characterization Appendix B: Arena Characterization Appendix C: Transportation System Simulation Appendix D: Supplementary Results Page Intentionally Left Blank ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study, performed for the Ames Research Center under NASA Contract No. NAS 2-6473, is part of the NASA study of V/STOL >. aircraft applications as a possible means of solving the growing air transportation problems in the U. S. The present study evaluated the economic viability and environmental compatibility of STOL service in short haul high density arenas. Appreciation is extended to Mr. George Kenyon and Mr. Elwood Stewart, the NASA Technical Monitors of the study, for their assistance and guidance provided. Particular acknowledgement of members of the technical staff of The Aerospace Corporation for valuable contributions is given to: Richard W. Bruce (Northeast Corridor data) Jon R. Buyan and Larkin Veigel (Transportation System Simulation development and production) Leon R. Bush (Arena characterization) Paul K. Dygert (Noise buffer zone cost programs) Jesse H. Katz (Noise and land use programs) Walter J. Portenier (Aircraft characteristics) Hector Rodriguez (Congestion analysis) Wolfgang Roessler (Pollution analysis) Terry Schoessow ;V,.": •-(Nbise,analysis),Cl.,,.. '.. " ' • •'"-'•- ''"V - • ',;• >:<• •' Ronald M. Seller (Economics) * Consultant to The Aerospace Corporation vii CONTENTS I. SUMMARY 1 II. INTRODUCTION 3 III. APPROACH 7 A. Study Guidelines and Ground Rules 8 B . Methodology 10 IV. STOL. SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS 17 A. STOL Aircraft Description 17 B. STOLport Requirements 24 26 V. ARENA DESCRIPTIONS 33 A. Region Descriptions 33 B. Intercity Travel Demand 38 C. Intercity Transportation Characteristics 38 VI. RESULTS 55 55 B. Selected System Definition 69 89 D. Extended Range Application 108 VII. CONCLUSIONS 113 A. STOL Patronage Potential 113 B. Principal STOL System Attributes 113 C. Aircraft Size 114 D. Fleet Requirements 114 E. Extended Range Potential 115 IX CONTENTS (Continued) F. Noise-Impact '•'.'. • . ...... ; .'.''.'. ... ...... 115 G. Air Pollution Impact .".... 115 H. • Hub Airport Congestion Relief . ". ...... .'. ...... 116 I. Open Issues--Aircraft Design Alternatives . 116 REFERENCES .... ....... •.- ..... ...... .:•. .... 117 GLOSSARY 121 X FIGURES Transportation System Simulation Application to STOL . , , 7 2. Transportation System Simulation Approach ... 12 3. Noise Buffer Zone Cost Methodology . ... 15 4. General Arrangement, Two-Stream Augmentor Wing Aircraft , . 17 5. Noise Characteristics, 1 50-Passenger Augmentor Wing Aircraft 22 6.. Comparative Emissions for 150-Passenger STOL and CTOL Aircraft 23 7. , , , 30 8. 34 9. ... 35 10. 36 11. 43 12. 44 13. 45 14. 46 15. Chicago Region Port Locations '. 47 16. Detroit Region Port Locations 48 17. Cleveland Region Port Locations 49 18. 50 19. 51 20. 52 21. ... 53 XI FIGURES (Continued) 22. 57 23. 59 24. 60 25. 63 26. 64 27. 64 28. 66 29. 68 30. 68 31. 69 32. 77 33. 77 34. STOL and CTOL Comparisons 78 35. CTOL and STOL Fare Comparisons, New York- Washington City Pair 80 36. 88 37. 89 38. 92 39. 93 40. 97 41. Aviation- Produced Emissions, California Corridor 101 42. 101 43. 102 Xll FIGURES (Continued) 44. Peak-Hour Passenger Factor '..'... 105 45. Chicago-New York STOL Air Demand . ' ., 110 TABLES 1. Aircraft Block Performance ...;.. 19 2. 20 3. STOL Aircraft Production Base and Unit Costs 27 4. Regional Data Sources and Socioeconomic 37 5. California Corridor and Midwest Triangle Demand Data Summary 39 6. 40 7. 1980 Mode Characteristics 41 8. STOL System Economic Viability Comparison 56 9. Optimum Number of STOL Service Paths, California Corridor •. ... .58 10. Optimum Number of STOL Service Paths, • . 61 11. Optimum Number of STOL Service Paths, Northeast Corridor 62 12. Selected STOL System Service Characteristics, .;,. California Corridor 71 13. Selected STOL System STOLport Requirements, California Corridor . 72 14. Selected STOL System Service Requirements, > 74 15. Selected STOL System STOLport Requirements, Midwest Triangle 74 16. Selected STOL System Service Characteristics, 75 17. Selected STOL System STOLport Requirements, 76 XIV TABLES (Continued) 18. Selected STOL System Fare Comparison . 79 19. Selected STOL System Potential, 150-Passenger Vehicle, ROI = 8 Percent . 82 r 20. STOL Service Impact, California Corridor ... 83 21. STOL Service Impact, Midwest Triangle , ,- , , 85 22. STOL Service Impact, Northeast Corridor 86 23. 91 24, STOLport Operations, California Corridor 94 25. 96 26. STOLport Operations Northeast Corridor 97 27. 99 28. 99 29. Comparison of Aircraft Exhaust Emissions . 103 30. Effect of STOL Service Introduction of CTOLport 108 31. 1980 Chicago-New York CTOL Service , •;-,- , 109 32. 109 33. Extended Range ST.QL System Characteristics, 150-Passenger Vehicle, ROI = 8 Percent . .. \ . Ill XV I. SUMMARY This report presents the results of an economic and environmental study of 1980 short haul airline systems using short takeoff and landing (STOL) air- craft. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ability of STOL aircraft to produce economically viable and environmentally compatible systems in order to provide guidance to appropriate National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aircraft research and development programs. The candidate STOL aircraft concept chosen by NASA for the study was an Aug- mentor Wing turbofan aircraft having a hot day balanced field length capability of 2000 feet. Assessing .the impact of an effective perceived noise level of 95 EPNdB at a 500-foot sideline distance was a significant factor in the study approach. Commercial operation of the aircraft was simulated between major city pairs of the California Corridor, Midwest Triangle, and Northeast Corridor. For the most part, the STOL