Extensive Supersonic Natural Laminar Flow on the Aerion Business Jet

TLDR

Few aircraft are designed to emphasize passive laminar flow from the outset, and the Aerion supersonic business jet concept is built around that principle. The paper details the unique technology developed for Aerion’s revolutionary jet. The authors present an overview of the jet’s laminar‑flow features and summarize the design‑oriented transition‑prediction methodology used in its aerodynamic design. Results from aerodynamic shape optimizations and a new high‑Reynolds‑number supersonic laminar‑flow experiment are presented.

Abstract

Few aircraft are specifically designed to emphasize passive laminar flow at the preliminary design stage. The Aerion natural laminar flow supersonic business jet concept requires just that. This paper discusses some details of the unique technology developed for the design of Aerion’s revolutionary jet. An overview of the laminar flow features of the configuration are presented, along with a summary of the design-oriented transition prediction methodology used for aerodynamic design of the airplane. Results from aerodynamic shape optimizations of the business jet and of a new high Reynolds number supersonic laminar flow experiment are also presented.