High subsonic cruise flight

Supersonic aircraft is firstly optimized for supersonic cruise performance. To achieve good tran­sonic (i. c. high subsonic) cruise performance, it can be necessary to adapt the configuration to the different requirements The OFW performs this by adaption of sweep A symmetric config – uralion (like Concorde) can use flaps:

• leading edge flaps, to avoid leading edge separation; this is especially important for sharp (supersonic) leading edges.

• trailing edge flaps to control lift distribution for minimization of induced drag and load control during manocuvcrs; this requires a pitch control surface like a horizontal tail.

5.4.3 Low supersonic acceleration flight

During transonic (i. e. low supersonic) acceleration, wave drag is dominant Here it strongly de­pends on interference of the different parts of the aircraft: fuselage, wing, nacelles with engine stream tubes, tail. Near Mach I even small changes in Mach number produce strong changes in Mach angle (i. e. radiation direction); strong shocks prevail with considerable shock-boundary layer interaction. As a consequence, accurate drag prediction of the transonic interference phe­nomena requires nonlinear methods including ihe simulation of viscous effects.