High-speed flight is a major technological challenge for both commercial and business aviation. As a first step in revitalizing efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to achieve the technology objective of high-speed air travel, NASA requested the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a study that would identify approaches for achieving breakthroughs in research and technology for commercial supersonic aircraft. Commercial Supersonic Technology documents the results of that effort. This report describes technical areas where ongoing work should be continued and new focused research initiated to enable operational deployment of an environmentally acceptable, economically viable commercial aircraft capable of sustained supersonic flight, including flight over land, at speeds up to approximately Mach 2 in the next 25 years or less.

High-speed flight is a major technological challenge for both commercial and business aviation. As a first step in revitalizing efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to achieve the technology objective of high-speed air travel, NASA requested the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a study that would identify approaches for achieving breakthroughs in research and technology for commercial supersonic aircraft. Commercial Supersonic Technology documents the results of that effort. This report describes technical areas where ongoing work should be continued and new focused research initiated to enable operational deployment of an environmentally acceptable, economically viable commercial aircraft capable of sustained supersonic flight, including flight over land, at speeds up to approximately Mach 2 in the next 25 years or less.

Provides comprehensive coverage of how supersonic commercial aircraft are designed This must-have guide to conceptual supersonic aircraft design provides a state-of-the art overview of the subject, along with expert analysis and discussion. It examines the challenges of high-speed flight, covers aerodynamic phenomena in supersonic flow and aerodynamic drag in cruising flight, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of oblique wing aircraft. Essentials of Supersonic Commercial Aircraft Conceptual Design is intended for members of a team producing an initial design concept of an airliner with the capability of making supersonic cruising flights. It begins with a synopsis of the history of supersonic transport aircraft development and continues with a chapter on the challenges of high-speed flight, which discusses everything from top level requirements and cruise speed requirements to fuel efficiency and cruise altitude. It then covers weight sensitivity; aerodynamic phenomena in supersonic flow; thin wings in two-dimensional flow; flat wings in inviscid supersonic flow; aerodynamic drag in cruising flight, and aerodynamic efficiency of SCV configurations. The book finishes with a chapter that examines oblique wing aircraft. Provides supersonic aircraft designers with everything they need to know about developing current and future high speed commercial jet planes Examines the many challenges of high-speed flight Covers aerodynamic phenomena in supersonic flow and aerodynamic drag in cruising flight Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of oblique wing aircraft Essentials of Supersonic Commercial Aircraft Conceptual Design is an ideal book for researchers and practitioners in the aerospace industry, as well as for graduate students in aerospace engineering.

In High-Speed Dreams, Erik M. Conway constructs an insightful history that focuses primarily on the political and commercial factors responsible for the rise and fall of American supersonic transport research programs. Conway charts commercial supersonic research efforts through the changing relationships between international and domestic politicians, military/NASA contractors, private investors, and environmentalists. He documents post-World War II efforts at the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics and the Defense Department to generate supersonic flight technologies, the attempts to commercialize these technologies by Britain and the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, environmental campaigns against SST technology in the 1970s, and subsequent attempts to revitalize supersonic technology at the end of the century. High-Speed Dreams is a sophisticated study of politics, economics, nationalism, and the global pursuit of progress. Historians, along with participants in current aerospace research programs, will gain valuable perspective on the interaction of politics and technology.

This stylishly illustrated book looks back at the future of air travel and is as sleek and elegant as the Concorde aircraft it celebrates - now in an enlarged edition. When the first commercial Concorde flights zoomed off the runways in Paris and London in the late 1960s, crossing the Atlantic in just under three hours, they established a new standard for luxury flight. Powered by 38,000 pounds of thrust and easily recognizable with its delta wing and drooping nose, the Concorde jet embodied the pinnacle of aviation technology and industrial design. It quickly became the preferred mode of transatlantic flight for superstars and business moguls alike. Opening with a lively history of the jet and how it changed travel, the book focuses on the look and feel of the Concorde. Photos of the jet's evolving interiors show how the original, starkly designed cabin gave way to luxury seats and interiors designed by the likes of Raymond Loewy, Sir Terence Conran and Andrée Putman. Filled with fascinating historical and technical background, and drawn from the author's personal collection of more than one thousand Concorde-related objects, this elegant book offers rarely seen historical photography and firsthand contributions from the people who helped create the Concorde experience from take-off to landing and beyond.

Since the dramatic flight by "Chuck" Yeager in 1947, when an aircraft first exceeded the speed of sound, the dream of a successful supersonic airliner has captivated the interest of many manufacturers & of many governments. But as yet, only a few concordes & a couple of Tupolev Tu-144s have gone into service, on a very few routes & none were ever sold. The cost of developing any supersonic airliner is prohibitive. The prospect of their being able to operate economically is remote. The market for such an aircraft (which would have to charge premium fares, even more than first class) is very small. Manufacturers & government agencies alike continue to base their multi-million research programs on inflated market "estimates" that combine substantial elements of special pleading & wishful thinking. Statements invariably include a plethora of "shoulds" & "coulds" in their predictions; but their assumptions carry little weight, as they are ill-supported by known data. The conclusions drawn to produce market "estimates" of more than a thousand aircraft neither clear-headed nor objective. This book, written by an experienced analyst who spent most of his career in commercial airline market research & traffic forecasting, explodes the myth. The analysis draws upon known facts, applies simple arithmetic & makes assumptions that are based on technical, operational & commercial sense.