EXTROVERT ADVANCED C ONCEPT E XPLORATION ADL P-­‐2013050202 Sean C hait, B rett K ubica Georgia I nstitute o f T echnology School o f A erospace E ngineering X-­‐57 CONDOR Runway-­‐Based Space Launch System Aerodynamics May 2, 2013 EXTROVERT ADVANCED CONCEPT EXPLORATION 2 Publishing Information We gratefully acknowledges support under the NASA Innovation in Aerospace Instruction Initiative, NASA Grant No. NNX09AF67G, to develop the techniques that allowed such work to be done in core courses, and the resources used to publish this. Tony Springer is the Technical Monitor. Copyright except where indicated, is held by the authors indicted on the content. Please contact the indicated authors komerath@gatech.edu for information and permission to copy. Disclaimer “Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” The X-­‐57 Condor Launch System is the next genera0on in Low Earth Orbit access vehicles. The system is capable of delivering a 100,000kg payload into orbit, return safely to Earth, refuel, and be capable of repea0ng the mission in the same day! Although significant technological advancement is necessary for the system to come to frui0on, its concept sets a basis for a poten0ally high value launch system. Mission Flight Profile Li# [kN] 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 0 10 15 Mach Number 5 20 LiA Required LiA Available Condor Li# Available vs. Required Condor Supersonic/Hypersonic Configura0on Condor Subsonic Configura0on X-57 Condor: Runway-Based Space Launch System Aerodynamics Integrative Assignment AE3021A Sean Chait Brett Kubica Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332-0150 Spring 2013 2 Contents 1 Summary 9 2 Previous Vehicles 2.1 Horizontal Takeoff Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1.1 HOTOL: Horizontal Takeoff and Landing 2.1.2 Skylon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Hypersonic Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2.1 Blackswift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2.2 Boeing X-51: Waverider . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Heavy Lift Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 13 13 14 14 14 15 16 3 Conceptual Design 3.1 Flight Regime Sizing . . . . . . . . . . 3.1.1 Rocket Stage . . . . . . . . . . 3.1.2 Supersonic-Hypersonic Stage . . 3.1.3 Subsonic Stage . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Initial Wing Loading Design . . . . . . 3.2.1 Subsonic Stage Aircraft . . . . . 3.2.2 Supersonic-Hypersonic Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 17 18 19 20 21 21 21 4 Aerodynamic Analysis 4.1 Low Speed Flight Regime 4.2 Supersonic Flight Regime 4.3 Hypersonic Flight Regime 4.4 Thrust Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 23 25 27 28 5 Final Condor Design 5.1 Final Configuration . . . . . . 5.1.1 Payload Capabilities . 5.1.2 Subsonic Transport . . 5.1.3 Hypersonic Transport . 5.2 Final Flight Regimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 29 29 29 31 32 . . . . 6 Conclusions 35 A Preliminary Sizing MATLAB Scripts 37 3 CONTENTS CONTENTS 4 List of Figures 1.1 1.2 Condor Space Access System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Condor Launch System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 11 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 HOTOL Horizontal Takeoff Space Skylon [5] . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blackswift [6] . . . . . . . . . . . Boeing X-51: WaveRider [8] . . . . . . . 13 14 15 15 4.1 4.2 Current Subsonic Transport Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Supersonic Transport Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 25 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Subsonic Condor Top View . . Subsonic Condor Side View . . Subsonic Condor Front View . Hypersonic Condor Top View . Hypersonic Condor Side View . Hypersonic Condor Front View Condor Flight Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 31 31 31 32 32 33 A.1 A.2 A.3 A.4 A.5 A.6 A.7 A.8 Initial Mass Size Script . . . . . . . . . . Subsonic Wing Loading Script . . . . . . Supersonic Wing Loading Script . . . . . Subsonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code (a) Subsonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code (b) Supersonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code . Hypersonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code . Available Thrust Analysis Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 39 39 40 41 42 43 44 . . . . . . . Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vehicle [3] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF FIGURES 6 List of Tables 2.1 Heavy Lift Aircraft Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 ∆V Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rocket Stage Sizing . . . . . . . . . . Required Stage ∆V 0 s . . . . . . . . . Supersonic-Hypersonic Stage Sizing . Subsonic Weight Fuel Estimation [15] Subsonic Stage Sizing . . . . . . . . . Subsonic Wing Loading . . . . . . . . Supersonic Wing Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Zero-Lift Drag Buildup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subsonic Aerodynamic Performance Estimation . Supersonic Airfoil Coefficients . . . . . . . . . . . Supersonic Aerodynamic Performance Estimation Hypersonic Aerodynamic Performance Estimation Thrust Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Condor Payload Bay Dimensions Subsonic Wing Dimensions . . . . Subsonic Fuselage Dimensions . . Hypersonic Vehicle Dimensions . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 25 27 27 28 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 30 30 31 . . . . LIST OF TABLES LIST OF TABLES 8 Chapter 1 Summary Modern launch vehicles capable of placing a payload into low earth orbit are expensive, non-reusable, and take months of preparation. In order to make any large scale space infrastructure, such as the proposed Space Solar Power (SSP) architecture, viable a new solution launch system must be developed. This system must have the reusability of a modern heavy-lift cargo aircraft, capable of loading, refueling, and executing its mission multiple times a day. The requirement of reusability and quick turnaround time makes the current configuration of a multi-stage rocket used by most modern launch systems inadequate. These systems require months of preparation, and are not reusable, driving up the cost per kilogram of placing a payload into orbit. For a launch system to be able to perform multiple flights to orbit a day, it is necessary for all stages of the proposed system to be completely reusable, requiring only the level of maintenance seen by current cargo aircraft. From these requirements it was determined that a vehicle (or vehicles) based off of the principle of horizontal runway takeoff and landing was the only viable option for producing the required launch system. Significant research into previous attempts at a horizontal take-off/horizontal landing space launch system gave rise to the concepts used in the preliminary design of the current launch system concept under consideration, the Condor. The Condor will consist of two main stages, each with their own vehicle. The first is a large blended wing body aircraft which will be carrying the second stage, a blunt body hypersonic craft. The first stage will be responsible for runway based take-off and getting the entire system to an altitude Figure 1.1: Condor Space Access System 9 CHAPTER 1. SUMMARY and Mach number such that the second stage can be deployed, accelerate through the sound barrier, and eventually reach orbit. After separation, the first stage will return, under its own power, to the launch facility. The second stage will use its highly advanced LACE engines, first in an air breathing configuration until hypersonic speeds are reached, then in rocket configuration to insert the payload into orbit. Once the payload has been successfully jettisoned, the stage two vehicle will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and land at its designated launch facility. The entire Condor system will then be quickly refueled and loaded for another launch opportunity. To allow for the uninterrupted delivery of cargo into orbit, launch facilities will located around the world at various locations to prevent possible interruptions due to weather and other atmospheric conditions. After an extensive research effort, which gave rise to a preliminary conceptual design for the Condor, further analysis was conducted to refine and determine the feasibility of the design. Basic mass sizing and wing loading techniques were used along with a preliminary flight profile to determine a set of geometric of parameters that defined the launch system. From here a modeling software was used to solidify the initial design and produce all of the information to run a thorough aerodynamic analysis. This analysis revealed that the current vehicle and flight profile were not sufficient to accomplish the goals of the mission. Modifications were made to both the first and second stage vehicle designs along with the intended mission profile in order to ensure the entire Condor launch system would be able to function efficiently. Final aerodynamic analysis showed that the launch system framework described in this report is theoretically possible in terms of aerodynamics although significant advances in structural design, materials, and hypersonic control systems are necessary. This is to ensure that the Condor is fully able to cope with the extreme conditions it will face while still performing to full mission success. Although out of reach of modern technology, the Condor may very well be the basis for a future large payload space launch system. 10 CHAPTER 1. SUMMARY Figure 1.2: Condor Launch System Overview 11 CHAPTER 1. SUMMARY 12 Chapter 2 Previous Vehicles In the pursuit of a new design, it is wise to consider approaches that others have tried (and oftentimes failed) to determine the most feasible approach to meet your mission criteria. Complete design concepts may have already been developed and analyzed, thus saving the time of performing a comparable analysis to determine the feasibility of a method. From the successes and failures of these previous attempts, it is possible to develop a sound, new vehicle concept that may very well perform to the desired specifications. It is for this reason that a significant research effort into horizontal takeoff and landing (HOTOL) orbital vehicles and hypersonic vehicles was undertaken prior to conceptual design of our craft. The purpose of this research was two-fold. First, to examine the aerodynamic and payload capabilities of previous design attempts and second, to compare different propulsion systems and their optimal flight regimes. By learning about previous and current attempts at HOTOL vehicles, we were able to gather enough information to create a feasible preliminary design for a heavy-lift HOTOL vehicle to bring our payload into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). 2.1 Horizontal Takeoff Vehicles 2.1.1 HOTOL: Horizontal Takeoff and Landing Developer: Rolls Royce and British Aerospace Payload: 7,000kg Propulsion System: Rolls Royce RB545 air-breathing rocket engine Description: The HOTOL was an attempt at a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle developed by Rolls Royce and British Aerospace between 1982 and 1986. The concept involved a ”space Figure 2.1: HOTOL Horizontal Takeoff Space Access Vehicle [3] 13 2.2. HYPERSONIC VEHICLES CHAPTER 2. PREVIOUS VEHICLES plane” which would takeoff horizontally from a runway with the aid of a rocket propelled trolley. The craft’s air breathing rocket engine (the RB545 Swallow) would then take over and behave like a turbojet until approximately Mach 5. At this point the engine would transfer to a pure rocket mode for the remainder of the climb to orbit [1]. Issues during the air breathing phase of operations involving the center of gravity and center of pressure resulted in the need for major redesigns. As a result the payload fraction of the craft was drastically reduced thus decreasing the economy of the craft. Funding for the project was ceased by the British government in the mid-80’s [2]. 2.1.2 Skylon Figure 2.2: Skylon [5] Developer: Reactions Engine Limited Payload: 15,000 kg Propulsion System: SABRE (Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) Description: The Skylon space plane is a single-stage-to-orbit craft currently under development by Reaction Engines Limited and funded by both the British government and European Space Agency. The vehicle is based off of the HOTOL design, as several of its key designers were members of the original team. An air-breathing rocket engine, with many similarities to a LACE system, is used. The primary difference between the SABRE engine and the conventional LACE design is that the air is not liquefied within the engine, increasing efficiency (the engine has an atmospheric ISP of 3500s). During the flight regime up to Mach 5.4, the cooled, highly compressed air is fed into a rocket combustion chamber, where it is ignited with liquid oxygen. This allows for high thrust throughout the entire flight. After this point, the air intake is closed off and stored liquid oxygen is used for the remainder of the flight [4] . The hopes of the project is to be able to launch a 15,000kg payload at a cost of a little over a thousand dollars per kilo. To date, the project has passed all design and testing reviews, garnering it continuous funding. 2.2 Hypersonic Vehicles 2.2.1 Blackswift Developer: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and the USAF Propulsion System: Combination turbine engine/ramjet 14 CHAPTER 2. PREVIOUS VEHICLES 2.2. HYPERSONIC VEHICLES Figure 2.3: Blackswift [6] Description: The Blackswift is a hypersonic concept aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and the USAF. Under the Air Force’s Falcon project, expectations are that the craft will be able to function as a hypersonic cruise vehicle, capable of delivering its payload anywhere on the planet within a few hours. Unlike many other hypersonic concepts, the craft is being designed to take off and land on a conventional runway under its own power. This was to be achieved through a combination turbine engine and ramjet propulsion system. The turbine engine will be used to get Blackswift to speeds approaching Mach 3 and then the ramjet will accelerate the vehicle to Mach 6. Currently the project is not in development as funding for the project was drastically cut causing the project’s ultimate cancellation [6] . 2.2.2 Boeing X-51: Waverider Figure 2.4: Boeing X-51: WaveRider [8] Developer: Boeing Payload: 270 kg Propulsion System: Pratt Whitney SJX61 Description: The Boeing X-51 WaveRider is an unmanned hypersonic demonstration aircraft being developed by the United States Air Force Research Lab. The term ”WaveRider” comes from the unmanned crafts use of shockwaves to produce additional lift. The X-51 is a ride along craft, which is attached to the wing of a B-52 and carried to an altitude of 50,000 feet before deployment. After separation, a solid rocket booster ignites to accelerate the craft to approximately Mach 4.5, at which time a hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet is ignited, further accelerating the craft to a theoretical max speed of greater than Mach 6 [9]. The WaveRider has been subject to several setbacks due to failures after the ignition of the scramjet during the transition between the start up fuel and conventional JP-7 jet 15 2.3. HEAVY LIFT AIRCRAFT CHAPTER 2. PREVIOUS VEHICLES fuel, an attribute that makes the X-51 unique in hypersonic craft. These failures, causing the premature end of hypersonic flight, coupled with other aerodynamic control issues make the current reliability of the craft low. Also current design allows for a payload of only 270kg, far below the range of any practical transport application [7] . 2.3 Heavy Lift Aircraft Research was also conducted into current subsonic heavy lift aircraft. This was done to gage the current capabilities of heavy lift systems in the subsonic regime so as to determine the best course of action for designing the subsonic portion of our launch system. From this research, an understanding of payload fraction and the sizing of necessary lifting surfaces for aircraft performing in this flight regime was developed. Due to the scale of the payload that must be placed into orbit (100,000 kg), the largest and most powerful of modern heavy-lift aircraft were examined. Aircraft C-5 Galaxy [10] C-17 Globemaster [11] An-225 Mriya [12] An-124 Ruslan [13] A-380-800 [14] Max Takeoff-Weight 381,000 kg 265,350 kg 640,000 kg 405,000 kg 590,000 kg Max Payload 122,470 kg 77,519 kg 250,500 kg 150,000 kg 149,800 kg Table 2.1: Heavy Lift Aircraft Parameters 16 Wing Span 75.31 m 51.75 m 88.4 m 73.3 m 79.75 m Wing 576 353 905 628 845 Area m2 m2 m2 m2 m2 Chapter 3 Conceptual Design After examining previous attempts at horizontal take-off and landing spacecraft systems, it was determined that the SSTO framework would not be feasible for delivering a 100,000 kg payload to orbit while utilizing completely reusable components. An aircraft that is capable of producing the lift necessary to take-off and pass through the subsonic flight regime would be so large that any attempt to reach supersonic, let alone hypersonic speeds, would meet insurmountable heating, loading, and thrust issues that would end in the craft’s failure. It was for this reason that a three stage, two craft system was decided upon. Our design for a heavy-lift, horizontal takeoff and landing, hypersonic vehicle consists of a smaller body designed for supersonic/hypersonic flight, which carries the payload, and a large detachable flying wing for subsonic flight. The smaller body will have a blunt nose to decrease heating in hypersonic flight and a delta wing with a high sweep angle and low aspect ratio. We will use the SABRE hybrid rocket engines as our main powerplant. The SABRE is an offshoot of the LACE engine concept. It uses a helium loop to precool incoming air and turn the turbine. It can compress air from ambient to 140 atmospheres. The engine uses liquid hydrogen as fuel and will close off its inlet at high speed and altitude, becoming exclusively a rocket engine [4]. The flying wing will be attached on takeoff and used to take the second stage vehicle to an altitude and velocity such that, once detached, it will be able to sustain flight. The vehicle will take-off under the power of the turbofan engines of the flying wing stage and be responsible for bringing the entire system to altitude. As the vehicle approaches the supersonic flight regime, the large wing will detach and return to the airfield. The vehicle then relies solely on the SABRE engines, which adjust their inlets with increasing Mach number and altitude. At approximately Mach 5.14 or 28.5km the inlet seals and the SABRE becomes a hydrogen-fueled rocket. When the vehicle reaches LEO (approximately Mach 25 at 150km) it will jettison its payload and return to a designated airfield under little or no power from its engines. From this baseline concept, an initial flight plan and aircraft conceptual design was developed using different mass and wing area sizing techniques. These baseline values were then utilized in the aerodynamic analysis and based on the results of that analysis, adjusted accordingly such that the Condor is able to successfully complete its mission. 3.1 Flight Regime Sizing The preliminary mission profile will be broken into five different stages of flight: 17 3.1. FLIGHT REGIME SIZING CHAPTER 3. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN Stage 1: Takeoff to Mach 0.8 at 10,000 meters (approximately 241 meters per second) and aerial refuel Stage 2: Airbreathing phase of the SABRE engines from Mach 0.8 at 10,000 meters to Mach 5.5 at 20,000 meters Stage 3: Rocket phase of the SABRE engines from Mach 5.5 at 20,000 meters to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which occurs at 150,000 meters and Mach 25 (approximately 7,780 meters per second) Stage 4: Jettison of payload Stage 5: Vehicle re-entry and landing The initial mass sizing of the heavy-lift, horizontal takeoff and landing craft was conducted in three stages based upon our expected flight regimes. The flight regimes are defined as the takeoff/transonic phase, the supersonic/hypersonic phase, and the rocket stage. The rocket stage will encompass orbit insertion, jettison of payload, and re-entry. These regimes are based upon the staging of the vehicle as well as the state of the engine during those phases. Derivation of the subsequent phases and their respective mass requirements are described below. A comprehensive MATLAB script was developed for all calculations and to provide a framework for design iteration. 3.1.1 Rocket Stage The rocket stage is the final stage of prior to insertion into low Earth orbit and will commence when the vehicle has been accelerated to a speed of Mach 5.5. At this point in time the SABRE engines will convert from a hybrid airbreathing rocket engine to a convential rocket engine running on liquid hydrogren and oxygen. Since the vehicle will already be travelling at Mach 5.5, the ∆V requirements of this phase can be determined using the necessary velocity requirements of entering orbit and the velocity already achieved during the supersonic-hypersonic phase. While determining these total ∆V requirements of this stage, other considerations must also be made. To improve efficiency, the launch site of the craft and maneuvers of the rocket phase will be utilized to obtain an extra ∆V from rotation of the Earth, thereby reducing fuel required to enter LEO. However, losses due to gravity, drag, and maneuvering the craft in atmosphere must also be accounted for. Table 3.1 details those values used which are based off of typical industry standards for initial sizing. ∆Vlosses ∆Vgravity ∆Vdrag ∆Vsteering ∆Vrotation Magnitude 1000 m/s 50 m/s 100 m/s 400 m/s Table 3.1: ∆V Losses The mass ratio of the rocket stage was determined using the rocket equation and the aforementioned losses. When in pure rocket flight the SABRE engines operate at an Isp of 460s, a very high value even for liquid rockets [16]. A high (for a rocket) structural ratio of 0.10 was assumed due to the added complexity of the SABRE engines, the large fuel 18 CHAPTER 3. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN Entrance Mach 5.5 10 15 Mass Ratio 4.497 3.276 2.305 3.1. FLIGHT REGIME SIZING Structural Mass [kg] 63,500 33,800 17,000 Propellant [kg] 572,000 305,000 153,000 Total Mass [kg] 735,000 438,000 270,000 Table 3.2: Rocket Stage Sizing tanks required to store liquid hydrogen and structural/control considerations for hypersonic maneuvering. The full payload of 100,000kg was also assumed. ∆VLEO = Isp g0 ln(M R) − ∆Vgravity − ∆Vdrag − ∆Vsteering + ∆Vrotation M R = e(∆VLEO +∆Vgravity +∆Vdrag +∆Vsteering −∆Vrotation )/(Isp g0 ) Implementation of the modified form of the rocket equation in MATLAB (See Appendix A) created a powerful design iteration tool to be used to determine the point at which the engines will be converted from an airbreathing to a pure rocket mode. Analysis (seen in Table 2.2) showed that the frontier of Mach 15, the limit of hypersonic, airbreathing flight, yeilds the minimum mass of the final rocket stage, as a large portion of the velocity required to achieve orbit has already been acquired in the supersonichypersonic phase. However, aerodynamic analysis will show that although this creates a lowest mass vehicle, the engines will not have sufficient thrust (due to engine lapse) to maintain flight. It was therefore determined that an entrance in the rocket phase would begin at Mach 5.5, increasing our initial mass drastically but this would grant us enough thrust to insert into LEO successfully. The mass of the final, rocket stage will drive the mass and fuel requirements of all prior stages (since they must carry it to speed), therefore it minimization is essential. As will be described in Section 3.1.2, the efficiency of the SABRE engines during its airbreathing operations is drastically higher than that during rocket operations (due to the use of air as an oxidizer) making it desirable to have as much velocity change as possible during the this earlier stage of flight. Initial sizing of the rocket staging and the determination of the threshold which will mark entrance into ”rocket” mode therefore make it possible to calculate the remaining required ∆V 0 sor the remaining two stages based on a transition between subsonic and supersonic modes at Mach 0.8 and hypersonic and rocket phases at Mach 5.5. Mach Regime 0-0.80 0.80-5.5 5.5-25.0 ∆Vrequired [m/s] 241 1,410 6,784 Table 3.3: Required Stage ∆V 0 s 3.1.2 Supersonic-Hypersonic Stage After the entrance point into the rocket stage was determined and initial sizing determined, it is possible to next determine the mass of the supersonic-hypersonic phase of 19 3.1. FLIGHT REGIME SIZING Entrance Mach 0.8 Exit Mach 5.5 CHAPTER 3. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN Mass Ratio 1.041 Propellant [kg] 29,900 Total Mass [kg] 765,000 Table 3.4: Supersonic-Hypersonic Stage Sizing operations. A single phase was decided upon for travel between transonic speeds and the end of the hypersonic regime due to the extremely efficient capabilities of the SABRE engines. Unlike traditional supersonic and hypersonic engines such as ramjets and scramjets which are only efficient once they approach their optimal Mach range, the SABRE engines perform at the same efficiency throughout flight operations. Due to the use of air as an oxidizer, the engines run at an Isp f 3600s, a figure that rivals many electric propulsion systems [16]. The dual capabilities of the engines also negate the need for a physical stage separation of the craft during the transition from hypersonic to rocket flight, rather a simple ”mode” change of the engines. For this reason the only extra structural mass needed in this phase is that required to carry the fuel required, all other structural mass was already accounted for in the rocket stage. Also due to the high efficiency of the engines during airbreathing operations, a significantly smaller amount of fuel is needed during this phase of operations than the rocket stage, even though the total velocity gained during hypersonic activities is greater than that of the rocket burn. 3.1.3 Subsonic Stage Upon completion of the initial sizing of the stages necessary to accelerate the craft and payload from high transonic speeds to Low Earth Orbit, it is possible to determine the size of the initial vehicle required to take the payload from takeoff to hypersonic vehicle deployment. The transition from the subsonic to supersonic-hypersonic phases will mark the only physical seperation of staged craft during flight operations. The logic for this design decision lies in the aerodynamic differences between subsonic and super/hypersonic flight. An aircraft with a significant amount of surface area is required to get such a massive payload off the ground and up to typical cruise conditions. However such an aircraft would not be able to withstand the forces placed on it during supersonic and hypersonic flight, let alone re-entry. Therefore the ”payload” of the subsonic, heavy lift aircraft will be the hypersonic vehicle, designed to have enough thrust to power through the Mach barrier and quickly up to high Mach numbers, as well as an aerodynamic design that tends itself to high speed flight. For optimal lift and structural weight considerations, a blended wing body configuration was chosen for the subsonic phase of flight. These aircraft have an empty weight fraction of below 50% and are ideal when such a high payload is being carried. For our considerations an empty weight fraction of 0.50 was assumed. The current design iteration also utilizes six GE 90-115 Turbofan engines, the same engine used on the Boeing 777 [15]. Using the specific fuel consumption of the engines, an estimated time of takeoff to hypersonic vehicle detachment of 45 minutes, and the average weight of JP-7 jet fuel, initial aerodynamic design considerations, an approximate weight of fuel can be generated for sizing purposes. The values used can be found in Table 3.5. 20 CHAPTER 3. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN 3.2. INITIAL WING LOADING DESIGN Sizing Parameter SFCcruise SFCsealevel SFCAverage Average Thrust During Takeoff Time to Separation Weight of Fuel Per Engine Weight of Fuel Total Value 1.47E-5 kg/s/N 0.92E-5 kg/s/N 1.195E-5 kg/s/N 400,000 N 45 min 17136 kg 77436 kg Table 3.5: Subsonic Weight Fuel Estimation [15] We /W0 0.50 Structural Mass [kg] 843,000 Propellant [kg] 77436 Total Mass [kg] 1,680,000 Table 3.6: Subsonic Stage Sizing 3.2 Initial Wing Loading Design Wing loading is an important performance parameter. An aircraft with lighter wing loading will result in an increased climb rate and a decrease in thrust required at cruise. An aircraft with higher wing loading is better suited for high speed flight, due to the smaller wing and decreased drag. However, the higher wing loading means faster takeoff/landing distance and velocity, because the wing will need to generate the same amount of lift as the larger wing. A seperate analysis was run for both the subsonic and supersonichypersonic craft to determine their respective wing loading. 3.2.1 Subsonic Stage Aircraft To estimate wing loading in the subsonic regime, we set several constants. The altitude is set at sea level, Mach number set at 0.15, and angle of attack set at 7 degrees. The variables are weight, aspect ratio, sweep, and lift-curve slope. In the process of estimating wing loading, we ran a function in Matlab to return a wing span and area to help size our wings at the same time. After several iterations we selected a wing with an aspect ratio of 8, sweep of 25 degrees, lift-curve slope of 5, span of 121 meters, and area of 1,804 square meters. This configuration yielded a wing loading of 931kg/m2 for a 1,680,000 kg aircraft. 3.2.2 Supersonic-Hypersonic Aircraft To estimate wing loading in the supersonic to hypersonic regime, we set weight, aspect ratio, and wing length (root chord) as our variables. We decided to use wing length as a variable, because we assumed that our supersonic stage would utilize a delta wing. Held constant is altitude at 10,000m, angle of attack at 2 degrees, and Mach number at 1.5. The Matlab function returns the same values as the subsonic estimate. After iterations, we selected a delta wing with an aspect ratio of 0.5, wing length of 50 meters, span of 13.4 meters, and area of 335.2 square meters. The wing loading is 1193.5kg/m2 Our only concern with this configuration is its ability to produce the required lift at transonic speeds after the subsonic wing detaches. This will be determined, and the wing adjusted, after aerodynamic analysis. 21 3.2. INITIAL WING LOADING DESIGN Iteration Input Weight [kg] Aspect Ratio Sweep [deg] dCl/dα Output Wing Span [m] Wing Area [m2 ] Wing Loading [kg/m2 ] CHAPTER 3. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN 1 2 3 4 5 6 1,680,000 7 25 6 1,680,000 8 25 6 1,680,000 7 30 6 1,680,000 7 25 5 1,680,000 8 25 5 1,680,000 8 25 6 106 1,575 1,066 112 1,514 1087 258 9,373 179.2 114 1,837 914.6 121 1,804 931.1 112 1,542 1,089 Table 3.7: Subsonic Wing Loading Iteration Input Weight [kg] Aspect Ratio Wing Length [m] Output Wing Span [m] Wing Area [m2 ] Wing Loading [kg/m2 ] 1 2 3 4 5 6 765,000 2 50 765,000 1.5 50 765,000 1 50 765,000 0.5 50 765,000 0.5 75 765,000 1 75 6.4 160 4,774 8.5 214 3,580 12.8 320 2,387 13.4 335 1,193 17.1 641 1,193 8.5 320 2,387 Table 3.8: Supersonic Wing Loading 22 Chapter 4 Aerodynamic Analysis To further refine the design of the launch system, a baseline aerodynamic analysis must be done to determine the current benefits and deficiencies of the proposed aircraft. Prior to analysis, a firm geometric design of the aircraft was developed. Using the open source software OpenVSP, an aircraft was designed based off of the general parameters of wing span, area, aspect ratio, etc previously determined during the initial mass and wing loading sizing of the stages. For initial analysis purposes a NACA 0012 airfoil was assumed for the subsonic phase until investigation suggests a preferred alternative. The flying wing which constitutes the detachable subsonic stage was modeled with the supersonichypersonic hybrid blunt body delta wing craft attached to its bottom. The size of the fuselage of the supersonic-hypersonic stage was modeled after the necessary space requirements of the USAF C-5 heavy lift aircraft to account for a large payload. Additional space was added for engines, fuel, and cockpit, however the space designated for this is subject to growth as further research and analysis is conducted. Once all of these parameters were determined and successfully modeled in OpenVSP, the software’s features allowed for simple extraction of geometric data for use in aerodynamic analysis. The resulting baseline design was utilized in initial vehicle aerodynamic analysis. As the analysis was conducted and deficiencies identified, modifications were made to the aircraft design and flight profile accordingly. Initial analysis, the resulting changes, and the final aerodynamic capabilities of the craft are described below. 4.1 Low Speed Flight Regime The blended-wing heavy lift subsonic transport plays the vital role of taking the payload (i.e. the supersonic-hypersonic transport) from the runway to a speed on the border of the transonic flight regime at which point the second stage can begin operations. The second stage is being designed for optimal performance in the supersonic and hypersonic flight regimes which tends it towards physical characteristics that make it highly impractical (if not completely impossible) to produce sufficient lift during subsonic flight to take off. It is for this reason that the subsonic transport phase must produce a large amount of lift to get its payload to operational speeds and is this optimized for such. In order to analyze the necessary thrust requirements of the aircraft, a baseline drag profile must be developed. For the purposes of this portion of analysis an emperical buildup based off of methods presented in Aircraft Performance and Design by John Anderson [18]. The following formulas were developed using regressions of common transport aircraft and are a function of the typical aircraft parameters seen below. These results 23 4.1. LOW SPEED FLIGHT REGIME CHAPTER 4. AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS Figure 4.1: Current Subsonic Transport Configuration can then be easily plugged into the standard lift and drag equations to begin analysis of the aircraft’s performance. For the purposes of this analysis we are first going assume worst case scenario of completely turbulent flow and second assume three sections for the aircraft: the subsonic flying wing (modeled as a wing), the hypersonic delta wing (modeled as a wing), and a hypersonic blunt body (modelled as a fueslage). Further refinement of design will later include details such as engines, extra fuel tanks, interface mechanisms, etc and will add a significant amount of zero-lift drag. For this reason, as well as to account for parasite drag, the calculated Cdo will be multiplied by three. Also for the purposes of this assignment, it is being assumed that a highly advanced airfoil is being used such that it has a critical Mach number 0.81 and will therefore allow the craft to operate at Mach 0.9 without encountering any supersonic flow. F FW ing = 1 + 2(t/c) + 60(t/c)4 f 60 F FF uselage = 1 + 3 + f 400 ρ∞ V∞ c Rec = µ∞ 0.074 Cf turbulent = Re0.2 c X Sweti CDo = C fi · ( ) · F Fi · Qi Srefi Component Subsonic Blended Wing Hypersonic Wing Hypersonic Blunt Body Total Zero-Lift Drag Cf 0.0020 0.0017 0.0015 Swet 3800 649.4 790.2 FF [m2 ] 1.252 1.252 1.079 (4.1) (4.2) (4.3) (4.4) (4.5) Q 1.3 1.1 1.1 CDo 0.0064 0.0001 0.0001 0.0238 Table 4.1: Zero-Lift Drag Buildup After calculation of zero-lift drag, it is possible to obtain an estimate for induced drag (based on the desired angle of attack) and thus calculate the desired drag created by the aircraft. Lift calculations are also attainable using the lift curve slope previously derived. 24 CHAPTER 4. AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS 4.2. SUPERSONIC FLIGHT REGIME Mach 0.9 Alt [m] 10,000 α[deg] 3 b [m] 88.4 Lift [kN] 17,200 Drag [kN] 977 Tavail [kN] 1350 Table 4.2: Subsonic Aerodynamic Performance Estimation e0 = 1.78(1 − 0.045AR0.68 ) − 0.64 (4.6) K = (πARe0 )−1 (4.7) Cd = Cdo + KCL2 (4.8) L = 1/2ρV∞2 SCL (4.9) D = 1/2ρV∞2 SCD (4.10) Using the aircraft parameters obtained during the initial conceptual sizing of the aircraft, it was found that although the aircraft was able to produce enough lift and thrust to take-off from a runway unassisted, it was not able to produce enough lift to reach an altitude of 10,000 meters at Mach 0.8. The analysis was repeated for different geometric configurations using the current flight profile where it was determined that a subsonic aircraft of nearly double the wing area, in the current configuration, would be necessary to maintain level flight. Modification of the flight regimes was then considered. After analysis, it was determined that only a 5% increase in wing area would be necessary if the aircraft was travelling at Mach 0.9 at an altitude of 10,000 meters. The higher entrance Mach number of the second stage was then analyzed for performance and it was determined that both the subsonic and supersonic aricraft would be able to function under the new flight regime. Therefore, the suggested changes to the geometric configuration of the subsonic aircraft and the changes to the overall flight regime were put in place. 4.2 Supersonic Flight Regime Figure 4.2: Current Supersonic Transport Configuration In the first iteration of the supersonic case, we utilized slender wing theory to estimate lift and induced drag on the wing. This assumption can be used up to about Mach 5, because of the high sweep of the delta wing. Maximum wing sweep is 80 degrees. No part of the wing is outside of the Mach cone until the aircraft surpasses Mach 5 by the equation: 25 4.2. SUPERSONIC FLIGHT REGIME CHAPTER 4. AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS 1 ) (4.11) M To analyze the aerodynamic forces at supersonic speeds the aspect ratio must first be corrected for compressible flow, √ β = M2 − 1 (4.12) µ = arcsin( AR = ARo β (4.13) Then, using slender wing theory, the coefficient of lift and wave drag can be determined, π (4.14) CL,wing = ARα 2 CD,wave = 4α2 β (4.15) The skin friction coefficient can be calculated after adjusting for compressible, turbulent flow conditions, T∗ 2 = 1 + 0.1198M∞ (4.16) T∞ Cf = 0.295 µ∗ T∗ 3 =( )2 µ∞ T∞ (4.17) T∞ µ∞ T∞ log(Re∞ ∗ ∗ )−2.45 ∗ T T µ (4.18) Now the total drag coefficient can be found, CD = CD,wave + Cf (4.19) Total lift generated by the Condor is calculated by finding the total lift of the wing and using an adjustment estimation to account for the loss of lift due to the fuselage interference [17], 1 q∞ = V∞2 2 (4.20) Lwing = q∞ SCL,wing (4.21) rf uselage 2 rf uselage 4 + ) (4.22) b b Total drag acting of the Condor in flight is calculated assuming a flat plate for the fuselage. The flat plate is equal to the largest cross-sectional area of the fuselage, therefore overestimating drag due to the fuselage, Ltotal = Lwing (1 − Dtotal = q∞ (Swing + Sf uselage )CD,total (4.23) Finally, thrust required is equal to total drag, unless the wings do not generate enough lift. If the wings do not produce sufficient lift, then the thrust required is equal to the total drag plus the thrust vector in the lift direction needed to compensate for the lack of lift, 26 CHAPTER 4. AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS 4.3. HYPERSONIC FLIGHT REGIME Treq = D + W −L sin(α) (4.24) A series of altitudes, angles of attack, and Mach numbers were run to determine the aerodynamic coefficients and forces on the aircraft during the supersonic phase. Based on initial analysis, wing span needed to be increased for the supersonic phase. The second stage of the Condor’s wingspan was adjusted from an original 15 meters to a much larger 36 meters. Although this change drastically increased drag and the forces on the aircraft, it was necessary to generate sufficient lift for mission completion. The added thrust requirements caused by the increase in drag were well within the pre-existing thrust margin of the SABRE engines. Mach 1.5 2 3 4 5.5 Alt [m] 10,000 10,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 α[deg] 8 6 4 4 6 CL 0.235 0.114 0.047 0.034 0.037 CD,wave 0.0697 0.0253 0.0069 0.0050 0.0081 Cf 0.00020 0.00018 0.00016 0.00015 0.00014 CD,total 0.0700 0.0260 0.0071 0.0052 0.0083 Table 4.3: Supersonic Airfoil Coefficients Mach 1.5 2 3 4 5.5 Alt [m] 10,000 10,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 α[deg] 8 6 4 4 4 Lift [kN] 7,578 10,104 15,156 12,706 10,964 Drag [kN] 2,548 1,652 1,028 634 395 Table 4.4: Supersonic Aerodynamic Performance Estimation 4.3 Hypersonic Flight Regime In the hypersonic regime (above Mach 5), Modified Newtonian Aerodynamics can be applied. Here we get: Cp = Cpo,min sin2 θ (4.25) Assuming γ = 1.4 and as Mach number approach infinity, the equation becomes: Cp = 1.84sin2 θ (4.26) We assume that the Cp on the sides of the wing and body not directly interacting with the flow are zero. At Mach 10 and 15 we are using the thrust vector in the lift direction to compensate for a lack of lift. We could extend the wings at high altitude to generate more lift to give the aircraft more thrust for climbing. 27 4.4. THRUST AVAILABLE Mach 5.5 10 15 Alt [m] 25,000 40,000 50,000 CHAPTER 4. AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS α[deg] 10 17 20 Lift [kN] 12,290 5,746 4,185 Drag [kN] 4,032 2,089 1,757 Treq [kN] 4,032 7,073 10,581 Table 4.5: Hypersonic Aerodynamic Performance Estimation 4.4 Thrust Available Thrust in an air-breathing engine is proportional to the density at altitude over the density at sea level. We assume air-breathing to 20km. Above 20km the SABRE switches over to rocket propulsion. It is assumed that thrust is constant, because the density is so small and pressure is close to vacuum. Altitude [m] 10,000 20,000 30,000 30,000 Thrust Available [kN] 2,646.4 569 117 (airbreathing) 11,760 (rocket) Table 4.6: Thrust Available From this analysis, we need to start the rocket at a lower altitude than initially thought. The aircraft can get to Mach 5.5 at 20,000 meters before switching over to rockets for the climb to LEO. 28 Chapter 5 Final Condor Design The Condor takes off with hydrogen and oxygen tanks empty. It climbs to 10,000 meters and Mach 0.9 under the power of six GE-90’s, where it levels off in order to fill the hydrogen tank and some of the oxygen tank. When aerial refuel is complete, the high aspect ratio wing is jettisoned and returns to the airport of origin and the SABRE engines engage. The Condor then goes into a shallow dive to break the sound barrier and reach Mach 1.5 to generate sufficient lift to climb. The aircraft then climbs to 25,000 meters and Mach 5.5, at which point the SABRE engines switch over to liquid rocket. The hypersonic vehicle climbs to 50,000 meters and Mach 15 then executes a vertical, nose up maneuver to climb to 150,000 meters and Mach 25 entering Low Earth Orbit. The payload is jettisoned in LEO. The Condor then begins its descent back to Earth. The low aspect ratio wing extends outward to increase wing area on landing. A large parachute deploys after touchdown to help slow the massive vehicle to a stop. 5.1 Final Configuration 5.1.1 Payload Capabilities The current design of the Condor launch system has the capability of placing a 100,000 kg payload into low Earth orbit. The geometric dimensions of the cargo bay were roughly based off of that of one of the largest air transports in operation, the C-5 Galaxy. The cargo bay is enclosed within the hypersonic stage vehicle, as it is utilized through all stages of flight. Length [m] 25 Max Width [m] 5 Max Height [m] 5 Max Payload Volume [m3 ] 625 Table 5.1: Condor Payload Bay Dimensions 5.1.2 Subsonic Transport The final parameters of the subsonic transport stage were initially developed during the conceptual design phase described in Chapter 3 but were later refined based on the aerodynamic analysis described in Chapter 4, where they were adjusted such that the aircraft would be able to perform to its desired performance. The fuselage dimensions described below were derived to encompass both the cargo bay and the necessary volume 29 5.1. FINAL CONFIGURATION CHAPTER 5. FINAL CONDOR DESIGN for avionics, cockpit, control systems, fuel etc. This fuselage is also the fuselage for the hypsersonic stage vehicle but must be considered whenever examining the subsonic phase of flight as it will be attached during this time. Wing Span [m] 126 Sweep [deg] 25 Wing Area [m2 ] 1900 Table 5.2: Subsonic Wing Dimensions The sizing for the fuselage was conducted under two considerations. First the necessary cargo bay volume capacity and second the volume required to fit the liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel used during the majority of the mission. Initial mass sizing produced an estimated required fuel mass, then the density of liquid oxygen and hydrogen was used to calculate the necessary storage volume. The majority of the LO2 and H2 will be held within storage compartments that surround the cargo bay, which will aid in the cooling of the fuselage as it experiences the high speed flow. Fuselage Length [m] 50 Max Height [m] 10 Max Width [m] 15 Table 5.3: Subsonic Fuselage Dimensions Figure 5.1: Subsonic Condor Top View 30 Fuel Capacity [m3 ] 4,063 CHAPTER 5. FINAL CONDOR DESIGN 5.1. FINAL CONFIGURATION Figure 5.2: Subsonic Condor Side View Figure 5.3: Subsonic Condor Front View 5.1.3 Hypersonic Transport Similar to the process undertaken in the design of the subsonic transport, initial sizing of the hypersonic vehicle occured during the conceptual design phase and was refined after aerodynamic analysis. The fuselage is the same as that described in the previous section. Fuselage Length [m] 50 Wing Span [m] 36 Sweep [deg] 73 Table 5.4: Hypersonic Vehicle Dimensions Figure 5.4: Hypersonic Condor Top View 31 Wing Area [m2 ] 888 5.2. FINAL FLIGHT REGIMES CHAPTER 5. FINAL CONDOR DESIGN Figure 5.5: Hypersonic Condor Side View Figure 5.6: Hypersonic Condor Front View 5.2 Final Flight Regimes After initial conceptual design and multiple modifications during aerodynamic analysis, the following flight profile was decided upon: Stage 1: Take-off to Mach 0.9 at 10,000m Stage 2: Airbreathing phase of SABRE engines from Mach 0.9 at 10,000m to Mach 5.5 at 25,000m Stage 3: Rocket phase of SABRE engines from Mach 5.5 at 25,000m to Mach 25 in Low Earth Orbit Stage 4: Payload deployment Stage 5: Vehicle re-entry and landing 32 CHAPTER 5. FINAL CONDOR DESIGN 33 5.2. FINAL FLIGHT REGIMES 5.2. FINAL FLIGHT REGIMES CHAPTER 5. FINAL CONDOR DESIGN 34 Chapter 6 Conclusions The Condor is a horizontal take-off/landing vehicle designed to deliver up to 100,000 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). It is a fully reusable aircraft that can reach orbit from any latitude of plus or minus 40 degrees. The Condor operates in two different stages: a subsonic and hypersonic stage. The subsonic stage consists of the hypersonic stage with a high aspect ratio wing attached. It is powered by six GE-90 engines in subsonic flight. The Condor can take-off fully loaded with fuel and payload, but is designed to takeoff with liquid hydrogen and oxygen tanks empty to enable faster climbing and mission completion. This will also decrease the amount of JP-7 fuel burned in each mission, which makes for a more environmentally friendly design. After an aerial refuel of the liquid hydrogen and oxygen tanks, the high aspect ratio detaches and returns to the airfield of origin. The hypersonic vehicle consists of a delta wing and four SABRE hybrid rocket engines. This vehicle is then used to accelerate the payload to velocity and altitude required for LEO. The initial two-stage concept for the Condor was chosen, because of the enormous payload that it is required to carry and the velocities that it must carry the payload to. A large, high aspect ratio wing works great for generating lift at low speeds, but will produce terribly high drag forces in supersonic and hypersonic regimes. Therefore, it was determined that the large wing would detach prior to supersonic flight. The SABRE hybrid rocket engines were selected as supersonic propulsion, because of their versatility. They are air-breathing to Mach 5.5 and go to pure rocket propulsion for acceleration beyond that to the Mach 25 required for LEO. Sizing based on initial weight estimations was grossly underestimated. After several iterations of aerodynamic analysis in the subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic regimes it was determined that the large and delta wings would need to increase substantially in wingspan and wing area. Also, the volume required to hold the liquid rocket fuel was overlooked in the early stages of design. The volume of the fuselage of the Condor more than doubled to hold the hydrogen and oxygen fuels. This drastically increased our drag and thrust required for the mission. Aerodynamically, there were still a few lift issues for the Condor even after increasing the wing sizes. It was determined that the transition velocity between stages would need to be increased from Mach .8 to Mach .9 in order to maintain sufficient lift. Also, from the supersonic analysis there is insufficient lift in the low supersonic range (below Mach 1.5). To compensate for this problem, the Condor will go into a shallow dive to accelerate to Mach 1.5. After reaching this velocity the Condor will generate enough lift to allow it to continue its ascent to LEO. 35 CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS From this analysis, it has been determined that this design is feasible, though not at this point in time. The materials needed to manufacture the wings and body of this aircraft will need to withstand immense aerodynamic forces and incredible temperatures. The SABRE engine is still in the design and testing phase of development. Also, this design requires a high-speed refueling tanker to fuel the Condor at speeds approaching Mach .9. Currently, no such tanker exists. The runways for take-off and landing will have to be massive in comparison to current airfields. In the relatively near future, when these necessities are available, the Condor will be a truly viable design. 36 Appendix A Preliminary Sizing MATLAB Scripts Initial sizing design interation calculation were done via MATLAB. All scripts used can be found below. 37 APPENDIX A. PRELIMINARY SIZING MATLAB SCRIPTS Figure A.1: Initial Mass Size Script 38 APPENDIX A. PRELIMINARY SIZING MATLAB SCRIPTS Figure A.2: Subsonic Wing Loading Script Figure A.3: Supersonic Wing Loading Script 39 APPENDIX A. PRELIMINARY SIZING MATLAB SCRIPTS Figure A.4: Subsonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code (a) 40 APPENDIX A. PRELIMINARY SIZING MATLAB SCRIPTS Figure A.5: Subsonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code (b) 41 APPENDIX A. PRELIMINARY SIZING MATLAB SCRIPTS Figure A.6: Supersonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code 42 APPENDIX A. PRELIMINARY SIZING MATLAB SCRIPTS Figure A.7: Hypersonic Aerodynamic Analysis Code 43 APPENDIX A. PRELIMINARY SIZING MATLAB SCRIPTS Figure A.8: Available Thrust Analysis Code 44 Bibliography [1] ”HOTOL.” Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/hotol.htm N.p.. Web. 6 Mar 2013. [2] ”HOTOL.” Wikipedia. N.p., 24 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HOTOL 2013. Web. 6 Mar 2013. 02 [3] HOTOL Over France. N.d. International Space Art NetworkWeb. 6 Mar 2013. http://api.ning.com/files [4] Amos, Jonathan. ”Skylon spaceplane engine concept achieves key milestone.” BBC pag. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. Skylon spaceplhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scienceenvironment-20510112ane engine . [5] Skylon front view. N.d. 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