Lower Bounds for the Pressure Jump of the Bow Shock of a Supersonic Transport

Abstract

Summary In this paper the shock waves of a slender aircraft are considered at a great distance from the aircraft so that all the shocks have coalesced into either the bow or rear shocks, but not at such a great distance (asymptotic) that the two shocks are of equal strength. Lower bounds are determined for the pressure jump across the bow shock subject to various aircraft constraints, and the pressure jumps across both the bow and rear shocks are determined at off-design conditions. The work described is considered to be a preliminary investigation and the results are such that further work seems to be warranted.