Concept of small supersonic civil transport

As part of the S4 (R&D for System integration of Silent SuperSonic airplane technologies) program from FY2016 to FY2020, JAXA designed a conceptual aircraft for small supersonic civil transport, based on assumptions of Mach 1.6, 50 passengers, approximately 70-ton takeoff weight, and a cruising distance of 3,500 nm (about 6,300 km) or more. To achieve this aircraft concept, the key technical goals were determined.

Technical goals

1. Sonic boom
   To enable supersonic flight even over land, the sonic boom intensity shall be 85PLdB or less.
2. Takeoff and landing noise
   Takeoff and landing noise shall meet ICAO Chapter 14 standards as applied to current subsonic passenger aircraft.
3. Air Resistance
   To reduce fuel consumption and increase cruising range, the air resistance shall be reduced to achieve the cruise lift-to-drag ratio of 8.0 or higher.
4. Weight
   To reduce fuel consumption and increase cruising range, the structural weight shall be at least 15% less than that of the Concorde.

Conceptual aircraft design results

Overall length	65.8 m
Overall width	24.5 m
Main wing area	175 m²
Total weight	67 tons
Engine	Twin engine
Number of passengers	50
Cruising speed	Mach 1.6
Cruising distance	3,500 nm or more

July 11, 2024