Meteorologically induced variability of sonic-boom characteristics of supersonic aircraft in cruising flight

Abstract

The influence of the meteorological variability on the characteristics of the primary sonic boom emerging from an aircraft in cruising flight is investigated. The sonic-boom propagation is calculated by means of an advanced ray-tracing algorithm which takes meteorological influences into account. Real meteorological situations are considered based on a full 10-year data set in 12- and/or 24-h resolution. Three different climate regions are studied: a mid-latitude coastal sea region, a tropical coastal sea area, and a subpolar land region. Frequency distributions of sonic-boom characteristics such as wave amplitude, rise time, and carpet width are shown for each area, all seasons, and opposing flight directions. It turns out that while variability is low at the ground track, it is high laterally for carpet width or boom amplitude at the outer carpet edges. A correlation analysis is applied which shows specific relationships between meteorological profile parameters and acoustical response. In addition, a meteorological classification is introduced and tested.