Airframe- Configuration Effect on Condition of Airflow to Engine in Hypersonic Flow

AEROSPACE planes for a future system of transportation to a low Earth orbit are now under investigation. The scramjet engine and the combined cycle engine have been studied for twostage-to-orbit or single-stage-to-orbit planes. During flight in the supersonic and hypersonic regions, the windward surface of the vehicle precompresses air into the engine. The engine thrust is approximately proportional to the mass flow rate of the captured air. Many kinds of airframe configurations of the aerospace plane have been reported, and aerodynamic characteristics of the airframe have been investigated [1-4]. In the present study, the effect of this configuration on the condition of airflow to an engine was experimentally investigated with three typical airframe-configuration models. Their lift and drag by wall pressure integration are also presented.