Combined conceptual and preliminary aerodynamic design of a low-boom Supersonic Civil Transport aircraft for holistic evaluation of its environmental impact

Abstract

The renewed interest for Supersonic Civil Transport on one side and the environmental challenges that whole aeronautics sector will have to overcome in the next decades calls for an holistic evaluation of the environmental impacts of a possible reintroduction of supersonic flights after Concorde retirement in 2003. In this perspective, a research effort has been initiated by ONERA to investigate the lowest levels of environmental impacts that can be expected by a new generation of civil supersonic aircraft. This paper presents the set-up and verification of different models and of a methodological design approach combining conceptual and preliminary aircraft design capabilities. This approach is intended to design a supersonic civil transport aircraft concepts that can serve to evaluate the minimum levels of environmental impacts of new supersonic aircraft integrating state-of-the-art technologies in terms of sonic boom, take-off noise and emissions.