The Future of Supersonic Jets - Rhea Gundry, BCAD Noise Consultant Airport Noise Abatement Committee Meeting September 16, 2019

The Future of Supersonic Jets
Rhea Gundry, BCAD Noise Consultant

Airport Noise Abatement Committee Meeting
September 16, 2019

Outline / Agenda

     Introduction
     History of Supersonic Flight
     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 flights is
      fueling competition between aircraft
      manufacturers.
                                                 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/

4

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 aircraft        Supersonic 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

6

History of Supersonic Flight

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History of Commercial Supersonic Aviation

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

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Noise Concerns

     NASA’s Work & Regulatory Aspects

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Noise Concerns – NASA
                    From sonic boom to sonic thump

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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 Lockheed Martin 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

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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 Airports Council
       agencies and airport operators             International (ACI)
      Concerns as to whether or not new          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

       supersonic jets will meet current ICAO
       noise certification levels

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Noise Concerns – Regulatory Aspects
     FAA                                         ICAO
     (FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION)           (INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION 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 engine manufacturing
     arena have taken a strong interest in pioneering the next generation of air travel.
     These efforts include the following manufacturers:

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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:
                 • Nacelle 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 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.
     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.

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 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.

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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 “Quiet Spike” 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
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Discussion/Questions

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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 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
     .

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Questions?

26   9/17/2019