Smaaart task: low-boom flight demonstrator concept refinement study 1.0 introduction/background: the overall goal of the NASA fundamental aeronautics programs high speed project is to develop and…

Smaaart task: low-boom flight demonstrator concept refinement study 1.0 introduction/background: the overall goal of the NASA fundamental aeronautics programs high speed project is to develop and validate the tools, technologies, and concepts to overcome the barriers to practical high-speed vehicles. During the 2013 - 2017 time period, the high speed project has placed a priority on the development of tools and integrated concepts that will enable demonstration of overland supersonic flight with an acceptable sonic boom. Two of the high speed projects technical challenges in this time frame relate to this priority. They are low sonic boom design tools and the development of sonic boom community response metrics and methodologies. The high speed project also has a technical challenge of achieving acceptable airport community noise. In addition to these near-term technical challenges, the high speed project continues to invest in longer-term research on other barriers to high-speed aircraft such as high altitude emissions, cruise efficiency, aeroservoelasticity, flight systems, and scramjet propulsion. The selection of these technical challenges described above was based on successful fundamental aeronautics supersonics project research conducted over the previous several years. Although broader in overall scope than the high speed project, the supersonics project also contained elements that focused on low sonic boom design and sonic boom community response. This work culminated in the 2009 award of the n+2 systems validation contracts. The objective of these NASA research announcement (NRA)-funded efforts was to evaluate tools and technologies for supersonic civil aircraft design. The studies have helped validate these tool sets and technologies through successful wind tunnel testing of scale models. The next critical steps in overcoming the barrier to overland supersonic flight are flight validation of these tools and technologies coupled with community response studies and research flights that will provide data to support the development of a noise-based regulatory standard to replace the current prohibition of civil overland supersonic flight. Based on recent successful efforts, the high speed project was directed to focus on ensuring the readiness of low-boom design tools for application in a manned flight demonstration project and on the validation of field study methodologies, survey tools, and the test protocols required to support community overflight studies. The high speed project was also tasked with conducting concept studies and research to inform the decision process regarding a potential flight demonstration program including the development and definition of programmatic, technical, and cost requirements for a low-boom flight demonstration (lbfd) project. The primary objectives of the lbfd project would be two-fold: the flight validation of design tools & technologies applicable to low sonic boom aircraft and the creation of community response data that will support the development of a noise-based standard for supersonic overland flight. To investigate the potential lbfd, NASA initiated a lbfd concept formulation study in march 2013. The goals of the lbfd concept formulation study were to define the initial lbfd mission requirements, provide a concept definition consistent with the mission requirements, and provide concept formulation planning and documentation required for the lbfd effort. For the purposes of the lbfd concept formulation study, the lbfd project was envisioned as three distinct phases. Phase 1 included all required lbfd aircraft development activities from system definition and preliminary design through fabrication, checkout, and first flight through supersonic envelope expansion. Phases 1 & 2 were expected to include minimal technology development and not exceed 5 years in duration. Phase 2 transitioned from envelope expansion to low-boom signatu