sonicbooms.org News

NEWS ARCHIVE

2006

Oct. 31 - "Aerion aims to silence sonic boom" (Flight International)

Oct. 24 - "NBAA 2006: Manufacturer priorities slow speed of supersonic dream" (Flight International)

Oct. 17 - "NBAA 2006: Aerion launches rocket tests" (Flight International)

Aug. 1 - "Aerion refines business case for supersonic business jet after completing initial round of partner talks" (Flight International)

May 8 - Japan to Talk With NASA on Supersonic Jet

May 3 - Rolls-Royce Sir Ralph makes plea for supersonic business jets (Flight International)

May. 2 - "Aerion backers keep SBJ on track" (Flight International)

2005

Nov. 26 - New Scientist Magazine article on "Supersonic Jets: The Next Generation"

Nov. 15 - Flight International article on "New studies on Aerion powerplant"

Nov. 9-11 - NBAA 2005 Supersonic Business Jet reports: AvWeek "Work Continues To Mitigate Bizjet Sonic Booms", B/CA ShowNews Day 1 (p. 62, 82-83, 105), AvWeek "Aerion Corp. Execs Confident Their SSBJ Can Become A Reality", AvWeek "Aerion Wraps Up Phase I Basic Design", AvWeek "Developers of the Supersonic Business Jet Need Both Technological & Market Progress", AvWeek "FAA, Partner Center Study Overland Supersonic Flight", AvWeek "A Sonic Boom Box for Research and Persuasion", FI "MACH Makers", FI "Aerion unveils cabin plan options for SSBJ", FI "Supersonic green light for P&W", FI "Gulfstream continues to push for noise change", FI "Supersonic boom?", AIN Online "New Business Airplanes", AIN Online "Machbuster bizjet plans move forward", AIN Online "Sonic-boom sim aids SSBJ research"

Oct. 10 - Japanese successfully rocket-launch 11% scale, unpowered supersonic airliner model to verify aerodynamic performance and extent of natural laminar flow (BBC (video), CNN, Yahoo , ABC)

Sep. - Legislation aims to restore funds for aeronautics R&D (AIN Online)

Jul. - AvBuyer "2005 BUSINESS JET SALES OVERVIEW (PART TWO)" (SSBJ: The Great Fast Hope) by Richard Aboulafia

Jul. 8 - NASA Funds Studies for Quieter Supersonic Boom (NASA vehicle system program)

Jun. 17 - The FAA's PARTNER Center-of-Excellence for noise and emission reduction conducted a test of 17 sonic booms over EAFB for comparison with sonic boom simulators, which will eventually be used for sonic boom reduction technology development. LA Daily News article

Jun. 14 - PARIS AIR SHOW Supersonic Business Jet updates (Aviationweek intro - Aerion Article - Shownews, p. 24, 36, 37) (Flight International) (AIN Online - July update)

May 24-26 - AIAA Aircraft Noise and Emissions Reduction Symposium "Small Supersonic Civil Aircraft" presentation by Pres Henne of Gulfstream and PARTNER Keynote by Ian Weitz.

Feb. 15 - "The Wrong Stuff" With its future budgets tied up in space, NASA is focusing aeronautics research on technologies that no-one yet wants. Should it? (Flight International).

Feb. 15 - A low-boom supersonic demonstrator is one of four projects to be pursued under a reduced, refocused aeronautics research programme unveiled by NASA in its fiscal year 2006 budget request.

Jan. 18 - PBS's NOVA airs program on "Supersonic Dream" and provides supplementary online content, including shock treatment section on low sonic boom flight (though you might want to read this additional explanation about the F-18 image)

Jan. 10 - Special Session on F-5SSBD at AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, papers 2005-0005 through -0013 (AIAA-2005-0012)

Jan. - Airport Journals "Aerion and SAI Compete"

2004

Dec. - Professional Pilot "Supersonic contenders enter the ring"

Oct. 11 - Two Companies announce Supersonic Business Jet programs at NBAA 2004: At the NBAA meeting Aerion, backed by billionaire investor Robert Bass, and Supersonic Aerospace International (SAI), backed by Michael Paulson the son of Gulfstream’s late founder Allen Paulson, are seeking support for their programs to bring Supersonic Business Jets to the market. Both claim an 8-12 passenger stand-up cabin, 4,000+ nm range, short field length capability, Stage IV noise compliance, sales price of $80 million and entry into service in the 2011-2012 time frame--clearly demonstrating that two companies believe ecomonic viability exists.

SAI's quiet supersonic transport (QSST) design combines low drag, light weight and revolutionary low sonic boom technologies developed by the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and contained in 27 (granted and pending) patents. Their design incorporates a highly swept and gulled arrow wing with an innovative inverted V-tail, bracing the engine and wing structure. Construction will utilize advanced aluminum primary structure and well understood composite secondary structure. Maximum range cruise is flown at up to Mach 1.8. The QSST low boom vehicle is designed to fly at Mach 1.6-1.8 cruise speed with a sonic boom over 100 times weaker than Concorde--believed quiet enough to eventually fly supersonic over land. With their unique inverted V-tail and other proprietary technologies, the integration of low boom is claimed to have resulted in little overall performance impact. Initial subsonic flight over land can be performed at speeds up to Mach 1.00, until supersonic over land demonstrations result in regulatory changes. Thanks to higher bypass ratio engines operating at their minimum SFC point with fully attached aerodynamic flow, subsonic cruise range is nearly the same as supersonic. The full span, Kreuger flap and trailing edge flaps achieve competitive field length performance. Performance is also aided by a fly-by-wire control system because the design is unstable in pitch in certain flight regimes. The fuselage includes acceptable natural pilot vision without a drooping nose. The engine concepts proposed by GE, P&W and Rolls Royce all meet requirements and are based on existing cores. QSST development cost is expected to run $2.5-$3 billion. SAI has already spent $23 million and 3 1/2 years refining their configuration design with 19 wind tunnel and nozzle acoustic tests, and claim to have a closed design. In January, they plan to launch an 18-24 month risk mitigation Phase II and start an international consortium to build the QSST. Persistence of reduced sonic boom has been shown in analysis and wind tunnel tests (examples prior to SAI work are in the technology link above) and was proven in a real atmosphere during the F-5SSBD/E program.

Aerion's design exploits unswept natural laminar flow (NLF) technology developed and in 4 patents by Richard Tracy. It utilizes an ultra-thin, unswept, sharp leading edge wing and T-tail to achieve NLF supersonically at a Mach 1.5 maximum range cruise. Their design flies subsonic, Mach 0.95, over land with nearly no range penalty (assuming most natural laminar flow is also achieved transonically). The main difference from SAI is that Aerion's design does not have provisions for significant sonic boom reduction and is not suited for acceptably low sonic boom. Given Gulfsteam's data that long range subsonic aircraft spend only 25% of their missions over water, high sonic boom over land seems likely to be a non-starter. Development cost is expected to be under $1.5 billion, due in part to the existing JT8D-219 engine being sufficient for Mach 1.5 cruise and for takeoff--by running derated with nozzle suppression for Stage IV noise. Aerion's SBJ requires composite wing skins and wing primary structure to meet required stiffness. In technology validation work to-date, an unswept, symmetrical, supersonic NLF technology wing was sub-scale demonstrated (about 1/4 of the length of laminar flow Aerion needs at Mach 2, and laminar flow shortened somewhat at lower supersonic Mach) on a NASA Dryden F-15B. Configuration design studies are underway and configuration wind tunnel testing will begin next year, including a wing structural test article.

Current FAA regulation 91.817 prohibits flight plans where sonic booms would reach U.S. land (preventing flight [greater than Mach 1.1] over land and as much as 200 miles from the shore) and restricts flying greater than Mach 1. If the later prohibition can be repealed, any aircraft can fly up to perhaps Mach 1.1 (depending on understanding of temperature conditions) without making a sonic boom on the ground. (Due to the speed of sound being faster at the ground than it is in the colder temperatures at altitiude.)

SAI (saiqsst.com): SAI press release, AVweb "SAI announced it has successfully confirmed the design for the Quiet Small Supersonic Transport", Popular Mechanics-November Cover Story, Flug Revue "SAI QSST", AvWeek "SAI Launches Quiet Supersonic with Big Bang", AvWeek "New Group to Unveil Skunk Works Supersonic", AIN Online "Contender SAI joins SSBJ race", AvWeek (Farnborough), AvWeek (Farnborough, 4.7MB .pdf, page31)"Lockheed Has Said SBJ Design ‘Closed’ As Patents Give Clues to Craft’s Details", AvWeek (NBAA2003)

Aerion (aerioncorp.com): Aerion press release, AVweb "Aerion speeds things up", Flug Revue "Aerion SBJ", AIN Online "Why Aerion Believes Odds Are in Favor of Its SSBJ", AvWeek "Aerion Pushes Business Case for SBJ", DallasBizJournals, AIN Online "Aerion antes up in SSBJ betting", Star-Telegram.com(reg. required)

Other/Joint: Airport Journals "Aerion and SAI Compete", Professional Pilot "Supersonic contenders enter the ring", World Airnews "NBAA 2004 Report", Flug-Revue "Supersonic Business Jets Announced",Flight International "Two distinct business jet designs emerge at NBAA - now pioneers seek major backing if concepts are to pay off", Flug Revue "Supersonic biz-jets proposed", AIN Online "Industry vets react to SSBJ news whirlwind", AvWeek Business Aviation "Two Groups Vie To Develop Supersonic Business Jets", AvWeek "Sonic Boom?", AvWeek "Gulfstream Says SSBJ 'Isn't There Yet'", Flight International "Two Vie for Supersonic Supremacy", Wall Street Journal ("Groups Vie to Build a Supersonic Jet"--subscriber only)

Oct. 4 - SpaceShipOne wins X-Prize: Second flight occurred October 4, 2004

Sep. 29 - SpaceShipOne made history: First X-Prize flight occurred September 29, 2004

Sep. 21 - Northrop Grumman Engineers Honored With Aircraft Design Award from American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics!

Sep. - F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator featured in AIAA Aerospace America feature article

Aug. 17 - NASA's F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Experiment (SSBE) Program Debrief was held at NASA Langley. There was unanimous agreement that the program was a success.

Jun. 21 - SpaceShipOne Makes History: First Private Manned Mission to Space (and creates sonic booms)

Jun. 14 - Fortune Magazine article on Supersonic Biz Jets

Jun. 14 - Popular Science July issue cover article is on emerging Super Quiet Supersonic technology: Whooshhh!
Radical new shapes will bring mach-plus airliners to our skies. An innovative aerodynamic design tweak could lead to supersonic business jets and bombers freed from that troublesome sonic boom. By Bill Sweetman [article now available online!]

Jun. 10 - NASA's F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Experiment (SSBE) Program Debrief, orginally scheduled for June 30th, has been delayed. The new date will be August 17th in Hampton, VA at the NASA Langley Research Center.

Mar. 27 - NASA's X-43A Proves Hypersonic Scramjet Flight Today

Mar. 17 - Sonic Boom Forum at U.S.C.

Mar. 10 - "SPACE DAILY: Sonic Boom Modification May Lead To New Era"

Jan. 21 - NASA F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Experiment testing at EAFB complete!

2003

Dec. 17 - Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne Breaks the Sound Barrier - news and photos

Dec. 1 - FAA provides presentations from "Civil Supersonic Aircraft Technical Workshop"

Oct. 14 - FAA Announces Public "Civil Supersonic Aircraft Technical Workshop" to be held November 13, in Arlington, VA

Sept. 30 - Responses to FAA's Call for Information on Mitigation of Sonic Boom

Sept. 4 - DARPA F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator (SSBD) Press Conference and Measurement

Aug. 27 - DARPA F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator (SSBD) NEWS

Aug. 7 - Sonic Boom Forum at U.S.C.