The present study summarizes the efforts towards the aerodynamic evaluation of the ATOS rigid wing hang glider, developed by A-I-R Aeronautic Innovation, Germany. During the initial stages of the research investigation, an extensive literature search was performed to assess the state-of-the-art in today's high performance hang gliders. Consequently, a unique design database for high-performance hang gliders has been compiled. This literature study revealed the current dominance of the rigid wing ATOS in competitive hang gliding. To illustrate the superior aerodynamic characteristics of the ATOS hang glider, an aerodynamic analysis study has been performed in the following order: two-dimensional airfoil analysis, transition from two-dimensional airfoil to three-dimensional wing analysis, the estimation of the lift-curve slope and the influence of high lift devices, the determination of the spanwise lift distribution, and drag breakdown. Results from the aerodynamic analysis performed with XFoil and LinAir Pro are presented. Importantly, the wing lift & drag results generated by the variety of methods are compared quantitatively and qualitatively. Considering the fact that the Horten IV resembles a milestone in flying wing glider design, a comparative study of the Horten IV with the ATOS flying wing has been undertaken.
Since the dawn of the jet age, passengers on all jet transports, except Concorde, have traveled at about the same speed — a standard Mach 0 83-0 87 range as a practical compromise. After 27 years of supersonic commercial travel, British Airways and Air France retired their fleet of Concorde aircraft at the end of 2003 because it was considered no longer profitable. Clearly, with the retirement of Concorde, the world has lost the only aircraft offering passenger transportation at supersonic speeds. Over the past several years manufacturers have proposed new aircraft designs that promise an increase in transportation speeds. In particular, the business jet market appears to present a business case for an exclusive supersonic business jet (SSBJ). However, there is a key-hurdle which has, until now, prevented the successful launch of a SSBJ hardware program: the development cost for an all-new aircraft quickly eradicates the soughtafter business case. This paper presents the results of a parametric sizing study which aims to answer the following question: is it possible to drastically reduce the development effort of a supersonic business jet design by converting an existing Learjet airframe into a supersonic vehicle while sustaining FAA interest and approval? This paper discusses selected aircraft sizing trades and operations related constraints. The feasibility study indicates some level of technical plausibility for the case of converting an existing airframe into a certifiable lower-cost supersonic aircraft. Acknowledging the range of actual complications related to the task of economically modifying and certifying a legacy airframe towards a SSBJ, it appears that a larger size SSBJ offers significant technical and economical advantages which outweigh the ‘off-the-shelf’ Learjet case.
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