ICT_SLB
16th Jan 2021, 00:16
Arguably the first major development in the scope of Flight Test for many years is the publication by the FAA of the Final Rule (https://www.faa.gov/news/media/attachments/SFA_Supersonic_Final_Rule.pdf) "to facilitate the the safe development of civil supersonic aircraft (https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=22754). I happen to know several people involved in the various Design Teams (the breakup of Bombardier caused a lot of migration) and they're very competent Engineers but I wonder if this will be like the original Sound Barrier era. Back then several aircraft had sufficient installed thrust but still did not achieve Supersonic flight consistently or even at all. What are your thoughts?
Genghis the Engineer
16th Jan 2021, 17:11
It strikes me that in half a century of military supersonic flight, the design and airworthiness technical challenges are well understood.
The big questions will be about emissions - noise and otherwise, for which the world no longer has the appetite to bend rules in the way it did for Concorde. In a world where billions are being spent on trying to achieve low to zero net emissions airliners, and the tolerance of any aircraft noise reduces daily - just how supersonic transport aircraft of any form will become acceptable in the 21st century escapes me entirely. I hear vague claims that Boom et.al. can be zero carbon and compliant with present noise regulations, but see absolutely no actual evidence they will. Those certainly are the fundamental challenges to be beaten, not the enjoyable and big, but nonetheless known and understandable challenges of design and airworthiness.
G