Inlet design technology development - Supersonic cruise research

An inlet technology development program for future supersonic cruise aircraft is in progress. Areas being emphasized are inlet aerodynamic and control system design requirements for efficient and reliable operation. Off-design conditions, such as angle of incidence, starting, and noise abatement are major considerations. Flow analysis procedures are being developed to predict the internal inviscid and viscous flows in axisymmtric supersonic inlets for these operating conditions. Also under development are control systems that will have significant interfaces with the engine control system, the flight control system, and the airframe avionics system. The analytical methods are being supported and validated with representative experiments.