-'.

Function of these inlet srstcllls is to

Turbojets Are Theoretically Capable of Mach 4 Speeds slow and tomplCSS air entering the :lir·
Cl'2ft . Air should enter the turbo jet's
comprcssors 3.t Icss th:m half the speed
By 1- S. Butt, Jr. J:liSS::u~~:I~i~'~n3t~~0l:~fi~ geometry IIlsbllation m eeting th e de- The nex t fig urc sh~'$ th.at using ill
of sound.
:i3 ~~d_~~~;ISth~u~~I!~~iGbrcu~~c8 ~i va riable geomctry nozzlc will still not
I d~l inlet systcm 3CCOmplishC5 this
u$C~~~~s~ ~r~r~~~s:~~i'~~ tJ:~ :~~s~'o~~r~. co~~~ :~~i~~l~~ ~~!~s;~r~~~r~n e~~ri~~ ~frc:~f~
correct thc thrust d eficicncy around
I~ d iffusion wi th a minimulll loss of lola l
!I.-Iach .. will provide a much grea ter
cration and the aircraffs ra nge would ~:~!~ 2~:lt~0~~I~ i~;~r~g 35~~: pressurc in the :lir stream and wilh
§hows that it would be impossible for minim um d rag. Bo th of Ihese IOSiCS
~1~:lU~~si~~\~~~~f future aircr.1ft be ~~ri~~~;~:~~Ut~'ex:tm Ie study was the a irplanc to l...·cr aceelerate to Mach
crCOlse ovcr aircra ft d rag.
servc to decfl'3sc thc cffecti\'e thrust
Widcnin~ the choice of ~'crplants to show the importance o(lhc engine's .. because th rust is inadequate .at thc th~\;~I~~ ;;::~~!et~~~~~ti~C~l~~~~ i~~ of thc engine .
will make It easier to optlmizc 2.600 iulct and c:-:h:lust nozzle design. The intennediate speeds. sbllation arc ablc to produce the nCCC$· There arc gcncra!!>' two methods for
mph. airclO1 ft for a definite m ission rc­ conclusion is that such sys tems must Silry t hrust over the wholc speed range. slowing 3. supersonic air strc;nn . Olle is
Inadequate Thrust Couse ;m extcrnal diffusion systcm a1ld thc
~;I~:~~c r~~11~;'~ly gi~lt~~n~r~;l~~c~:-cd· :~\'~cI1v~~b~d g':~~t~/~$~h~u~;~!n~hi~
as shown in the lower figurc.
This inadequate th rust aro und Mach V ariable geometry mechanism of th is other internal. The 0I1c used in the
Na tional t\~sory Commitkt: for whole flight. E!.. cn if the oosic engi ne 2 is p rimaril)' due to 1"\...0 things: inlet S\'stcm would ha\'C to includc prcvious example \\,;.IS an cxtenJal s~·s·
Acrona utics scien tists at the Lewis is C3 JX1blc of delivering much more
!:~~~~l:h;:~~~:~:~t"ac~~I~I~~~ a~~~o~: ~~~lUSt!c t~~~d~!~l ~~~~~~,~~i~\~n~>n~~
• High dr.ag caused by air spilling
;uound inlet. Enginc req uircs .lbout
66 % less air :It Mach 2 th:ln it does at
::h: 'ds ~: ;h~~'~~tt~~ ~'~fll~~~~h~ffi~~~~: tc m. Both slow thc supcrson ic Row to
;1 Iov.' superson ic \Iach mllnbcr b ... con·
by·pass to bleed excess air in the cuct tracting thc ;Iir stream and thcn d iffus.
huslion knowlcdge ind icates that Maeh installation. Thrus t losses of the instal· ~bch 4. Exc~ air is deflected aro und to the outside ;lintrCOl11l. ing it to subson ic spC'C<1 h:-- II1 C;IlI S of a
" turbojets arc fClsib1c. l bcy point out, latioll arc primarily from prc:ssurc losses inlel. nonnal shoe\; \\';lI' C .
• (ft'crcx~nsioll of air in cxhaust noz· Inlet Function
!~;~~'Cltl~~I~t~i~:j~~~i~~S!~l~!~~1 r~~ l~let:l~o~~r~111~nfOl~;~!~I~\I~~ o~u~:~ zle, causmg strong shoek waves wh ich Inlct s),stelll shown in this cxamplc
Extcrnal system gt·nc r.l lIy uscs:J series
of ramps (or cones if thc inlet is eirel!'
slow down cxit velocity. Exit area of
=~~ea~1 ~~'e:~i~hle~~l=:ttur~a~l;: cX'E;;~~;lcIO~}~llistl:Uu~:~~t ~Ic;a~: nozzle, which is correct for ~<lach 'I. is
is but one of those currc ntly being in·
\'cstiga tcd by NACA , othcr rC$l;.';lTch ~~r)sl~\~i~~e ~~~t~h~I~I~(l~C n~;~~l ~I~~
formancc rL'<jui rcd of enginc compo­ 86.87. Upper figure s ho~"S a 6xed too largc for Mach 2. :lgendcs :l1ld aircraft lllan ufacturen. is located across the m outh of the inlct
nents, Mach 2.5 is about the uppet
-; limit for presen t-day turbine cngines .
Types of Powerplants % OF
AIRPLANE
Ih~f~C~l~~ts4a~[~~t ~~ t~~I~Q

"'''' ::f :"~q

will al.so incl ude turbojets, ramjets. (lLlal·
cycle cngines, rockets a nd v.mous CaRl'
binations of thest'. T he turbojct would
" rctain thc adva ntagc it has tlXby. It

~~~!~c~:~lt~;?~~I:~bk\~~~~'1~~~:~ tNSTALL.A.TION atMwe is typical of inkt and exhaust systans for Mach ~ turbojets. It
continuous ~wcr to:iIIl aircraft through
its en tirc fhgh l. Each of thc other en·
gine types will undoub tedly be superior
hZl fu:t:d geometry designed fOf MiCb -t, bul so dissipatcs . --vcr at the iotClTl'lecWte speeds
Ih~t t)'piCilI aircnft would not be able to ocud Mach l. S \.,gbt). o 2
., FlIGHT MACH NO _
in ~~sc~ra~f~c~o~e~:~:I~ ;:~~b~
ul timate speed of the turbojct . Ram· % OF
/ . ~~~~I;il~ ir~~;~thl~~c~n~li~:S :~~t;l~::
speed co.'cn though they can.n ~ t function
AIRPLANE
WEIGHT 40
dll~~~I~dj:'otl!~~r~1:t'i~'~i:1 ~c~:
plant invo"'es many interdt.'pcndcn t fac­
to rs concern ing thc aerodynamic and 20
structu ral design of the :l ircraft as well
as the enginc. Since it is impossible to
DRAWING aboYt Wows flow conditions .t Mach 2 'IIith I ,;ariabk gcornetJy exhaust nonle.
:~~~r~c a:h~.~ollt~~r.;!~n~, i~~f~d~ urIC DODIc cxpaDlioa ~tio is not needed below Macb 2. Noz:z.k: changes ~lonc: are not
2
sufficienl to mal,,: the insbllation aooeptabk (rigbl).
the m utual interaction of :he power·
<', plant installation on the airframe. fliGHT MACH NO.
Hypothetical Case
,\ generalized examplc of such :I st udy
% OF
.....as prt$Cntcd du ring a recent Triennial AIRPLANE
Inspection of the Lewis Laboratory.
Thrust requirements of a M.aeh " turbo­
WEIGHT 40
~ <II jet O\'cr its whok s~d r.mgc were de­
tcrmined br considcring the drag of a
hypothetica airc raft representing thc 20
most advanced ac rodynamic and struc­
~. tural thinking. The aircraft '\'3S designed
fOJ a speed of Mach 4 at about 8,.000 FURTH IR ADDITION of • wriable pomdrr inkt gives the iosblb.tion IMlcqUlltle thrust
ft. Adequatc thrust U 'il S stated to be ova the eatire spc:cd . . . . 1.1et sbow1I here • of the akmll COIDJIIasion type.. Nu.mbn 2
35% morc than the d rag, at (,,'\·eryspecd. of JK*ibk solutiofts to tile ~ pndIy proNem 1ft: beiat!: ilnutipted..
, t
FlIGHT MACH NO .
86 AVIATION WEEK, Oclobe, 28, 1957
AVIATION WEEK_ Oaober 28, 1957

,. • Turbine m1ct-1,450F
• Turbine outlet-l ,nOF
III thc ideal (';'ISC. Air \'c1ocity hccom~ 1 ber. b.1C/.;: pressure, cte. Sometllncs ;11l
subsonic across th i~ shod; ;lnd cutcrS IIIlSt3b1c flo\\' i~ sct up that is diffic ult 10
the duet at less th:1Il ~ I ach. 1. SlOp.
• Di~eharge cxhaust- 3, 300F'
,. Temperatur. Difficulties
Int.r"ol Syste m
\Vith the illtcm:11 srstclll, a ir ~'lltcrs
Corrections Deyised
Thesc "robit-Ills of intCTll.11 diffu-,{'n
~I o~t .serious temperature problems tile duct :It supcrsolllc velocity. T he han: bct'll brgc1 ~' correctcd. Th c for·

~~!~ ~c ~:;~nu~l~~j~~ ~a~~~~~~II~IS'sl~~

duct COlltr.ICIS 10 :1 throa t whcre norm;l ' I\~l rd or supersonic portion of the

subsonic . Duct thcn expands 10 slow ~~~u~~~t~la~'~\I~~enc;~;!o~{~e~'la~~;l~li::~

shock occurs :md the stream bt."COTllCS
The compresso r will reqUiTe thc usc
of the 1ll0s1 ad'.mccd allovs now used th e subson ic sl rClll n. much less susceptiblc to b;lck prc<;sllfe
in turbines to withsl:md the combinn· Trouble ;u isn with tllc extcrnal sys· Vari;Lblc ;l rCl th ro'l1s make the ill,
tion of h i~ h tcmperaturc ;Hld high stress. tCILl when thc inlct is too largc :lIld ICnial duc ts C;.1p;Lb1c of opera ti ng o\'cr
' I1 H~ t ur bl11{' on thc \I ilch 4 enginc is m orc :lir is take-n illto th e duct th;lTI thc .1 widc i\l ach num ber mnge. Both Ill ·
op<"mtM brio\\' Ihe turbi nc tcmper­ engine nceds. Th e exeess :lir th(.'11 ~pi n s ternal and Cltcrnal $~' ~tc m s arc being
, ./. ~:;~~f i::I~'I~1~~I:b;n~n~~I~.~ ~;~I~i~~ around the inlet C:lUsing a I;ngc d r;lg, dC\'CIopcd .md h;ll'e th eir cnth usi;lSIS.
If the inlet are:] is 100 STH:! II. thc cllginc
to 1Ll'ltch thc ;lerodmamie colp.1bl!it ies Slicks the no rm;l l shock a t thc in let r.lt~nf~~I~it~l~.~~i;I~;~' i:~~c~ ;:~~r~~~~:
of the compresso r. . 1);lck dOWll the duc t c:msing ;l deerc.ISC n ozzle th;Hl currcnt tm bojl·ls. th c r.·laeh
. ~
Em'iron men ta' tcmpcr.lt ure of bc<Ir. ilL fl ow d en sih' ;lI1d an incrc-.I$C in pres­ i e n~i nc will also h;LI'e ;l different dc·

~~~I~:I~~::I:~~~ ~b :'::bo~~~I=1 !:n: ~: ':f:~r:~ ~:.Ij~: ~da::~: ~~~I~t ~~~~:;~ iofl1~:~I~

'life loss. V crl :Iccum tc ,HId semiti\'e ~ig n III ;I IIIIO$t C\· c~· lll;Ljor com po ncnt.
controk life need cd to keep the shock 11lC com pressor lI'ili IUI'c abo ut tlnce
. '''Ii;lblc alr;t inlet.
'OTlle <.:\IIrenl C'IlgiTlt."S. Th is is possible
ma teri;l!s becausc of th e hCltl1lg of the
;~~l :;k~ well as temperatures .....i[11in
filE' lItH II II U 2
p;ltlern :1Ild in let ;!lCOI adjusted so th:l t ~ t,lg~ in~ t (';1(1 of 11 10 1:; that ~r" on .
neithcr of these two cxccssi\'c losses will
OC('ur.

~,
'"",,",c p"" mc ,i>< PC' ,lOge h" been
o""'d ",.d '"",.u>< ". "eh of Ihe eo",·
"" ~ . NACA $Iud;" iudi",,, that "" ""n·
IJIIII'''~ ,,,..... 11 Ix den "' ''''· "'pcno, 10 " " 1m·
TrO\lb1c wilh internal sntcms cell ·
tcn :l round making thc lIonnil' shock
"
pression is accomplished in the inlet . . ' bo)C1 above \Iaeh i . T his conclusion is \\~J\'e stalt al Ihe inlct and 1llQ\' C down

.~ "
duc l instcad of the com pressor.

hn!~!:~rd~~:l ~~'ili'~~~~I~I~t:~~ ~~::::

",,,tion d."",b.", , ,,d "('«bu,,,e,
­

Ai.(
b:.lscd on the fact that arou ud i\1.1ch 3

Ullnl! IUO II o n l

1::::,..11 . . ..­
prcs.sor puu in. Th is d clrimcn t:1 1 dfecl
~I~r~~~ i:I~~~I~-C~lil;r.r~;:'.I~~I~!el~::II::i~
the duct to the tilro.1t. Th is IIlO\'Clllcnl

~;~ul~~:b:;~~n ~n~A~ tl~:,r.I~!e ~:~:IC ~ti~l~f ~~;:1::~1~ 1S~II~k tod~rcl~~~o.~:I.I:~I~

111C press ure rl"CO\'e~' :I iso depends 0 11
Ihis .lrC'll r.llio. Un fOrhlll;ltc!\, . .1 1Il1lli·

~I;"h
T e mperature Comparison 1ll11l11 prcssurc 10)) .mel high 'ducl cRi ·
~'t- :'\ .\c. \ prl'dictions uf the 1{'11IPCU' .. _ , ,-- C om'lousl: (1t,K'Sn 't h:l\'c thi' h.l1l1lic;lp ci(11('\ dClll,lIlds sllch .1 slI1.1 1I IllfO,l t
U
...
.lrC;1 i'll rel.ltiol! to the illlci ,lrC;1 Ih.lt thc
I"" "i" h'" Ihe ' '''eh • Imboiet """" ,. . - : ' nd i, "'0" dfi"enl ''''''·e 3.
1:.lt." 'Olll" of tl.,e dt'\:clopmellt pfOblcms I TOP )\.;etch sno,.,s ;\Ix-II of inkl in ~lach ::: In terms of a tYJ.>i~1 lHilit.lr~ lHi~,i~1Il lIoruml shock won't m ove down thc
f. 1{·mg Ihe l·ugllle. l·or. cOlllpaflSOl~ the ft()1O' . Ail JI>i11s alound inlet cailling high ho\l'l'\·C'r. the turl)(),~t IS ,tlllyllllp<.:rlll~·e <Iuci 10 Ihe I lIm,lI . It st.L11ds Oll t ill
f~·I11I)(:r.lhlrl'., I~I :1 tlPIt'l11 \Iach _ cn­ dnag. If sflill:.lg~ :.Iii iJ clh~u:ncd behind t he IIJl to \I.,~h i . USIII r.lIIlleh. th..: ,Ilr·
1 ('~~~:tl~)C ):::ll:[~; ~fo;l:cO:h:~l~tdi~e~:~I~~tl~~ ':ol'~lrli~\I(I~;~~
~'~~'~\I ;!~~!~t;'~kt~2S~01-' inlet tbelo,, ) dr~g iJ IroliCro. ~~:~llt::lL:I::'\~ :~111l \!;:~c~,it lIoml;11 ,hO("/.;: to !IIC!\'C had: to thc
• Entrance to cOinbustor-S7:; F ;,Iug" "'111£ turhoje,," I loIH·ln. Ihc
:~r~~~:e;!~~,~~.·1· 1frt) I~\ :~I.I~f:~~;;:~l;II:;~~
.' . •
•
•
I'urhillc llIlet-I .(I)O F
TILlbil1{' ol1lkt-1.0001·
Disc har'll' l'\11.m)t-~.OOO I ·
t{,I:I~~./~;~r~I.~~~II-lIl~ll:.::~li~~:thCSC ~llILe
AV IATION WEEK. (klober 28,19.57 '11I.llkr 1,llIIit:t'I)I~\cr('<1 pl.IIK \\1),,1<1
IIn"(l '>11111(' >ort of hOllst .lrr.m~('I1ICl1 t to
Llll off. T hc I\ei~ht of It", 1)I~l\t{' r
:\~illll;~ .::~~~~ft t'I:~ :~I;lm~\ ~·)t~t t:::b(:::'~
rem i~ ,Iho \l·rl ,"lI)iti\c to bolck prC">·
~::I~~··cr~.fll:~I~ ~:~r(I~~~ I:I~(C~)[:~~II~~ . .;;:~
~~ :~)(I~I:l~'; ;cl(lk 11:.I~Jll tll ~fIl~~ed~~:ltC:~' (~I: i':~~~
• C.o H lprl.'~SO r IHkt -I .2 '0 1· Ic",ioll . If rocl<.:b \ \(' K u~'d fur 11K'
r .r • Fnlmnce to C~' lIlhl1~IIIT - I.;; O F boost. tilt· prop':r l'IIIHhlll.lIl1 1!1 hf \l. lch 1111111 ·