Conceptual design, flying and handling qualities of a supersonic transport aircraft.

Abstract: The purpose of this project is the design of a supersonic aircraft that is able to meet the market’s requirements, be economically viable and mitigate the current barriers. The initial requirements of the design have been set according to the understanding obtained from a brief market research, taking into account the market needs, in addition to the economical and environmental restrictions. The conceptual design proposed is a supersonic transport able to execute transatlantic flights carrying 15 passengers. The aerodynamics, propulsion data and weight of the design have been estimated using empirical relations and experimental data found in references. The design has been evaluated regarding its performance, stability, flying and handling qualities. The relevant models have been created using the software Matlab, while the flight testing has been executed at the Merlin MP521 engineering flight simulator. Finally, a discussion is made about the environmental impact of the supersonic transport, focusing on the aerodynamic noise, generated by the sonic boom, and the air pollutants emissions.