Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Donald C Howe

Preston A Henne

Timothy Raymond Conners

Robert R Wolz

Jimmy Lee Hancock, Jr

George O Hicks

Gregory Howe

Joe Gavin

Timothy R Connors

A wing for an aircraft includes, but is not limited to, a wing body having a wingtip, a leading-edge, and a trailing edge. The wingtip comprises an outboard-most portion of the wing body. The leading-edge is disposed along a forward portion of the wing body and is configured to cause a vortex to extend off the trailing edge at a location inboard of the wingtip when the aircraft is flown sub-sonically at a predetermined angle of attack. The trailing edge is disposed along an aft portion of the wing body and has an aft-most region disposed inboard of the wingtip at a position that corresponds with the location where the vortex extends off the trailing edge.

Wing for an aircraft

An inlet arrangement is disclosed herein for use with a supersonic jet engine configured to consume air at a predetermined mass flow rate when the supersonic jet engine is operating at a predetermined power setting and moving at a predetermined Mach speed. The air inlet arrangement includes, but is not limited to, a cowl having a cowl lip and a center body coaxially aligned with the cowl. A protruding portion of the center body extends upstream of the cowl lip for a length greater than a conventional spike length. The protruding portion is configured to divert air flowing over the protruding portion out of a pathway of an inlet to the supersonic jet engine such that a remaining airflow approaching and entering the inlet matches the predetermined mass flow rate.

Air inlet arrangement and method of making the same

A supersonic inlet includes a relaxed isentropic compression surface to improve net propulsive force by shaping the compression surface of the inlet to defocus the resulting shocklets away from the cowl lip. Relaxed isentropic compression shaping of the inlet compression surface functions to reduce the cowl lip surface angle, thereby improving inlet drag characteristics and interference drag characteristics. Supersonic inlets in accordance with the invention also demonstrate reductions in peak sonic boom overpressure while maintaining overall engine performance.

Isentropic compression inlet for supersonic aircraft

A nozzle arrangement is disclosed herein for use with a supersonic jet engine that is configured to produce a plume of exhaust gases. The nozzle arrangement includes, but is not limited to, a nozzle having a trailing edge and a plug body partially positioned within the nozzle. The plug body has an expansion surface and a compression surface downstream of the expansion surface. A protruding portion of the plug body extends downstream of the trailing edge for a length greater than a conventional plug body length. The plug body is configured to shape the exhaust gases to flow substantially parallel to a free stream of air flowing off of the trailing edge of the nozzle and to cause the plume of exhaust gases to isentropically turn the free stream of air to move in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the plug body.

Nozzle arrangement and method of making the same

Method and arrangement for reducing the effects of a sonic boom created by an aerospace vehicle when the vehicle is flown at supersonic speed. The method includes providing the aerospace vehicle with a first spike extending from the nose thereof substantially in the direction of normal flight of the aerospace vehicle, the first spike having a second section aft of a first section that is aft of a leading end portion, the first and second sections having a second transition region there between and each of the sections having different cross-sectional areas, the leading end portion of the first spike tapering toward a predetermined cross-section with a first transition region between the predetermined cross-section and the first section. The first transition region is configured so as to reduce the coalescence of shock waves produced by the first spike during normal supersonic flight of the aerospace vehicle. A spike may also be included that extends from the tail of the aerospace vehicle to reduce the coalescence of shock waves produced by the spike during normal supersonic flight of the aerospace vehicle.

Supersonic aircraft with spike for controlling and reducing sonic boom

Supersonic aircraft jet engine installation

Method and arrangement for reducing the effects of a sonic boom created by an aerospace vehicle when the vehicle is flown at supersonic speed. The method includes providing the aerospace vehicle with a first spike extending from the nose thereof substantially in the direction of normal flight of the aerospace vehicle, the first spike having a second section aft of a first section that is aft of a leading end portion, the first and second sections having a second transition region there between and each of the sections having different cross-sectional areas, the leading end portion of the first spike tapering toward a predetermined cross-section with a first transition region between the predetermined cross-section and the first section. The first transition region is configured so as to reduce the coalescence of shock waves produced by the first spike during normal supersonic flight of the aerospace vehicle.

A supersonic inlet employs relaxed isentropic compression to improve net propulsive force by shaping the compression surface of the inlet. Relaxed isentropic compression shaping of the inlet compression surface functions to reduce cowl lip surface angles, thereby improving inlet drag characteristics and interference drag characteristics. Supersonic inlets in accordance with the invention also demonstrate reductions in peak sonic boom overpressure while maintaining performance.

Method for configuring and operating an aircraft for minimizing sonic boom effects at ground level during supersonic flight of the aircraft. The method includes configuring an aircraft and flying the aircraft at supersonic speed so that in the supersonic flight, a lower profile of the aircraft is presented and generally groundwardly directed; and generating multiple different magnitude pressure disturbances below the aircraft, and radiating therebelow, and controlling the different magnitude pressure disturbances generated below the aircraft so that differentials thereamong are sufficiently minimized that ground level sonic boom effects are minimized during the supersonic flight.

Supersonic aircraft for reducing sonic boom effects at ground level

A method for modeling the acoustic signature produced by an aircraft of interest flying at a particular supersonic Mach number/altitude operating point of interest. The method includes operating a sub-scale aircraft that is a sub-scale version of the aircraft of interest at a supersonic Mach number and at an altitude that are respectively different from the Mach number and the altitude associated with the operating point of interest. The Mach number and altitude at which the sub-scale aircraft is operated is selected such that peak overpressure generated by the sub-scale aircraft and time to rise to peak overpressure are the same as peak overpressure and time to rise to peak overpressure caused by operating the aircraft of interest at the operating point of interest.

Growing community of inventors

Savannah, GA, United States of America

Donald C Howe