With research and technology (R&T) development activities for the next generation SuperSonic Transport (SST) being pursued globally over the past few years, the options to proposed airframe and engine concepts appears to be converging. The United States, the Europeans, and the Japanese are all engaged in developing the technologies needed for a future SST that is environmentally compatible and economically practical. Boeing and McDonnell Douglas are part of the team under an R&T contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop critical components and enabling materials that will allow industry to make a production decision by 2003. Europe’s three main aircraft manufacturer’s — i.e., Aerospatiale, British Aero-space, and Deutsche Aerospace — comprise the European Supersonic Research Program (ESRP). A primary Japanese effort called the Hypersonic Transport Propulsion System Research (HYPR) project consists of a consortium of four international engine manufacturers and the National Japanese Laboratory. The manufacturers are: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., and General Electric Aircraft Engines Company, USA. A recent study by the Japan Aircraft Development Corporation (Reference 1) also addressed the technology requirements for the next generation SST.
There are basically three major challenges that must be met before a new SST can become a reality. They are the technical, environmental, and economic challenges. The technical challenges of the propulsion system primarily reduce the development of new materials capable of sustaining higher temperatures and vibration (high and low frequency) over longer exposure times as well as capable of being produced at reasonable costs. Low emission combustors and low exhaust jet noise are the primary environmental challenges, which are a technical challenge in themselves. The economic challenge is to produce an aircraft and propulsion system that allows the manufacturers to recover development and manufacturing costs as well as realize a reasonable Return-On-Investment (ROI). In addition, Life Cycle Costs (LCC) must not be substantially above future subsonic airliners in order to justify premium fares the public would be willing to pay for the time savings of long-distance flights and still be profitable to the airlines.
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