14 Facts About Supersonic aircraft

Supersonic aircraft is an aircraft capable of supersonic flight, that is, flying faster than the speed of sound.

Supersonic aircraft were developed in the second half of the twentieth century.

Supersonic aircraft have been used for research and military purposes, but only two supersonic aircraft, the Tupolev Tu-144 and the Concorde, ever entered service for civil use as airliners.

In particular, aerodynamic drag rises sharply as the Supersonic aircraft passes the transonic regime, requiring much greater engine power and more streamlined airframes.

Since a supersonic aircraft must take off and land at a relatively slow speed, its aerodynamic design must be a compromise between the requirements for both ends of the speed range.

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Early turbojets were more fuel-efficient but did not have enough thrust and some experimental aircraft were fitted with both a turbojet for low-speed flight and a rocket engine for supersonic flight.

The turbofan engine passes additional cold air around the engine core, further increasing its fuel efficiency, and supersonic aircraft today are powered by turbofans fitted with afterburners.

Supersonic aircraft aerodynamics is simpler than subsonic aerodynamics because the airsheets at different points along the plane often cannot affect each other.

At these speeds aerospace engineers can gently guide air around the fuselage of the Supersonic aircraft without producing new shock waves, but any change in cross area farther down the vehicle leads to shock waves along the body.

However, in practical applications, a supersonic aircraft must operate stably in both subsonic and supersonic profiles, hence aerodynamic design is more complex.

At high speeds aerodynamic heating can occur, so an Supersonic aircraft must be designed to operate and function under very high temperatures.

Duralumin, a material traditionally used in Supersonic aircraft manufacturing, starts to lose strength and deform at relatively low temperatures, and is unsuitable for continuous use at speeds above Mach 2.

Key to having low supersonic drag is to properly shape the overall aircraft to be long and thin, and close to a "perfect" shape, the von Karman ogive or Sears-Haack body.

Supersonic transport is a civil aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound.