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AIRCRAFT

STUDENT COMPETITION
2008 - 2009 Competition

Contest News

The 2009 contest is closed and a new contest will be announced by September 1, 2009.

-The High School Results are in!

Visit the 2009 High school awards page to see the awardees

* Calculating Low Boom Signatures

Several resources of information on low boom signatures have been added as resources for students.  One is a working version of SEEB code written in FORTRAN.  We have no other code to provide that is publicly available to the international community, so if you have a PC and are familiar with FORTAN, you should be able to use it.  Check the Recommended Reading section below for the relevant downloads.

* Students that enter can receive a free seat of Pro/ENGINEER software.  Click here for information. 

* Frequently Asked Questions and Answers page

Reminder
US College Student Internship Applications due March 1

 

 

group award image

--------------------------------Photos from the 2008 Awards Presentation------------------------

 

Fundamental Aeronautics Student Competition 2008-2009

Technical Area:  Supersonic Flight Project

Background 

For the first time in the history of commercial aviation, we have taken a step backward. We had the capability to fly faster than sound with commercial transports, as demonstrated by the Concorde.  There are no commercial supersonic aircraft flying today.   How do we enable people to cover large distances (across continents and oceans) quickly without placing an excessive burden on our environment?

The Supersonics Project, part of NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program, has identified a set of key technical challenges that are barriers to success for practical supersonic cruise vehicles.  Some of these barriers include:

  • Efficiency challenges, including supersonic cruise efficiency.  There are two principal elements to supersonic cruise efficiency—propulsion efficiency and airframe aerodynamic efficiency—and these must be treated as an integrated challenge.  
  • Environmental challenges, including airport noise reduction, sonic boom modeling, and high-altitude emissions reduction.

For this academic year challenge, we ask students to put together their ideas (high school level) or design (college level) for a highly efficient and environmentally friendly, low boom, commercial aircraft with an Initial Operational Capability (IOC) of 2020.*  A successful design will addresses the efficiency, environmental and performance challenges described below.

Small Supersonic Airliner Design Goals:

  • Cruise speed = Mach 1.6 to 1.8
  • Design Range = 4000 nautical miles
  • Payload = 35 – 70 passenger range (mixed class)
  • Fuel Efficiency = 3 passenger-miles per pound of fuel
  • Takeoff field length < 10,000 feet

There are challenges for four levels of students: See the High School and University links below for the details


High School Contest

University Contest

Recommended reading:

NASA TM 4246.pdf

SUP-Coen-final.pdf

*Initial_Operational_Capability.pdf

SEEB code file, SEED.tar

Darden Technical Paper, TP-1348

Darden Technical Report, TND-7842

+ Past Awardees

+ 2008 Awardees, High School

+ 2008 Awardees, University
____________________________________

 

Free Pro/ENGINEER Software License from Parametric Technology Corporation

A free license or seat of Pro/ENGINEER Schools Edition 3-D Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is available to all students that enter the contest.  Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) manufactures the software and will provide one license to each university student that declares entry to the contest.  The corporation has made this offer in the hopes of improving student’s ability to use the program, thus improving the engineering skill set of the future workforce.  If you would like to have Pro/ENGINEER, please email the contest administrator for details.   Please note:  The use of Pro/ENGINEER is not required for contest participation, nor is NASA endorsing the software or its manufacturer.  




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