. The Future of Supersonic Flight

There are plans to build new supersonic passenger aircraft, but most of them are for small business jets. Any future supersonic transport will have to fly passengers farther, less noisily, and more efficiently than earlier aircraft.

Designers believe that they already know how to deal with the problems of engine efficiency, engine noise, and sonic booms. There are designs for more efficient engines that behave like ordi­nary, quieter jet engines for takeoff and climbing. At high altitude, these engines fly supersonically. This type of engine is called a variable cycle engine.

In 2003, an experimental aircraft car­ried out test flights called the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration. Using a Northrop F-5E fighter, scientists showed
that it is possible to make a sonic boom quieter by changing the shape of an air­craft’s nose. In the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration the intensity of the sonic boom was reduced by about half. Researchers are working toward build­ing an experimental aircraft incorporat­ing every known technique for reducing the intensity of sonic booms to see how quiet a supersonic aircraft can be.

SEE ALSO:

• Bell X-1 • Concorde • Future of

Aviation • Shock Wave

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