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Improvement in airframe structural efficiency through the utilization of unique and minimum weight concepts is a primary applied engineering objective for the hypersonic environment. The essential elements for hypersonic structures criteria are temperature environment, low load intensities, room temperature load conditions, structural stability, minimum gage material requirements, material producibility, reusability, nonoptimum factors, and vehicle configuration compatibility. ...A comparison of thermal structural concepts indicates that the hot load-carrying structure is the leading candidate for a typical M8 hypersonic cruise vehicle wing and fuselage application.

The refractories were being considered for the wing leading edges and the nose of a proposed hypersonic aircraft. The insulants were for application between the outer skins and the interior structure.*

Abstract At hypersonic speed, severe aerodynamic heating is observed, and temperatures are too high to cool by radiation cooling; active cooling such as ablative cooling is helpful in this situation. ...A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of a two-dimensional (2D) lifting body against thermally perfect air in a hypersonic region (Mach number, M > 5) is carried out for M = 5–9 to obtain a heat-transfer-minimized sweepback angle (ΛHT-min), at which heat transfer to the vehicle is minimum.

The aerospace changing aerothermodynamic environment from subsonic to supersonic to hypersonic flight velocity has brought the cost environment to the foreground. The increasing performance demands for lightweight structure and the resulting increase in airframe cost are discussed.

It is found that control of heat transfer on a wing at hypersonic wing can act as a control device, comparable to that due a moderate flap deflection.

In general the combined system, space-rotor-vehicle, can be regarded as a hypersonic glider having a L/D ratio of the order of 1.0 to 1.5. However, whatever are the applications envisaged, booster recoveries, orbital recoveries of manned or unmanned vehicles, the weight penalty incurred by this new system is fairly constant and situated well below that of the equivalent, more conventional, means of reentry and recovery. ...The variable geometry of the space rotor confers to this system the capability to reconcile, in one integral system, the difficult problems of the maneuvrable hypersonic reentry and the soft spot landing. In fact the final flare permits to use the stored kinetic energy of the rotor to reduce the approach velocity of the vehicle from 40 kts to 6 ft/sec.

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel to determine the low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a generic, hypersonic accelerator-type configuration. The model consisted of a delta wing configuration incorporating a conical forebody, a simulated wrap-around engine package, and a truncated conical aftbody.

There is a significant potential for improvements in cruise aerodynamic efficiency of supersonic aircraft through improved design methodology, friction drag reduction, innovative design and the use of favorable interference concepts. The use of favorable aerodynamics concepts such as supersonic biplanes, ring wing, parasol wing and caret wings for the design of a small supersonic aircraft is discussed. The parasol wing concept is shown to offer the greatest potential for improvements in lift/drag ratio relative to a conventional design. However, the best aerodynamic concept is very dependent on the design Mach number, and on the airplane component size relationships. Optimized nacelle installations for a High Speed Civil Transport, HSCT, have aerodynamic interference effects similar to the parasol wing concept.

The first flight of a delta wing aircraft took place in the United States at the Muroc AFB Flight Test Center on 18 September 1948. The aircraft, Convair No. 7002, Air Force S/N 46-682 and designated the XF-92A was piloted by Convair's Manager of Flight Research, E.D. “Sam” Shannon. The author witnessed this historic flight as a Flight Test Engineer on the project. Studies and wind tunnel tests for a supersonic interceptor were conducted at the Vultee Division of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair) in 1945. These studies led to the selection of the 60° delta wing plan form. This paper reviews the major differences between the thin wing XF-92A and the thick wing DM-1 glider (never flown) designed by Alexander M. Lippisch in Germany at the close of World War II. The XF-92A used a fully hydraulic irreversible control system for its elevons and rudder. The only airplanes up to this time with fully hydraulic controls were the Northrop XB-35 and the YB-49 flying wings.

A supersonic channel airfoil (SCA) concept that can be applied to the leading edges of wings, tails, fins, struts, and other appendages of aircraft, atmospheric entry vehicles and missiles in supersonic flight for drag reduction is described. It is designed to be beneficial at conditions in which the leading edge is significantly blunted and the Mach number normal to the leading edge is supersonic. The concept is found to result in significantly reduced wave drag and total drag (including skin friction drag) and significantly increased L/D. While this reduction over varying flight conditions has been quantified, some leading edge geometries result in adverse increases in peak heat transfer rates. To evaluate the effectiveness of SCAs in reducing drag without paying any penalties in other areas like lifting capacity, heating rates or enclosed volume, the design space was studied in greater detail using MDO methods.

This recommended practice includes requirements for installations of adequate landing and taxiing lighting systems in aircraft of the following categories: 1 Single engine personal and/or liaison type. 2 Light twin engine. 3 Large multi-engine propeller. 4 Large multi-engine turbo-jet. 5 Military high performance fighter and attack. 6 Helicopter.

This ARP covers the recommended lighting performance and design criteria for: (a) Left Forward Position Lights (Red) (b) Right Forward Position Lights (Green) (c) Rear Position Lights (White) (d) Anti-Collision Lights (Red or White Flashing)