Comments on: Area Rule

By: Curtis

Curtis — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:26:13 +0000

Sorry, did he invent the coke bottle or was that some other guy, nameless, who deserves the honor of being called the father of supersonic flight?

By: ProwlerAMDO

ProwlerAMDO — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:36:56 +0000

Whitcomb belongs up there with Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, a true giant of aerospace, and someone who has had a significantly beneficial impact on our world, particularly the American economy and military edge during the Cold War. He’s the type of person you wish more knew of and respected.

To one day see an SST flying profitably and sustainably (realistically the market for one would probably be relatively small, i.e. few hundred, and they would probably be in the 50 person size range to scalp the passengers willing to pay first class on the busiest and longest routes) would be a thing to behold. Just have to prove we can make quiet overland supersonic flight a reality on something the size of an airliner. The next challenge for aerodynamics.

By: steveH

steveH — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:14:31 +0000

In the 1950s he proposed the Area Rule. Applied to the subsonic YF-102, the F-102A with the same power was supersonic in level flight.

In the 1960s, he developed supercritical airfoils. More range without using more fuel for airliners, among other things.

In the 1970s, he developed winglets, yet again improving aircraft efficiency.

Any one of those developments would have made a designer’s reputation.

The jury’s not in yet on his oblique-wing supersonic cruise aircraft. Does the same general job as a swing-wing like the F-111 or F-14, but much simpler and lighter required structure. Maybe some day.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:31:57 +0000

Cheers to an amazingly talented engineering genius. May he Rest in Peace.

I’ve often wondered how North American Aviation managed to get the F-100 to go supersonic . . . without Area Rule applied.