To complement the Scimitar engine, Reaction Engines has proposed a suitable vehicle configuration (A2) that attains the necessary subsonic and supersonic lift/drag ratio for efficient commercial operation. The airframe is designed to have adequate control authority about all axes to handle engine-out and to achieve pitch trim over the full Mach range. In addition the airframe configuration is an efficient structural shape with circular cross section hydrogen tankage and uninterrupted carry-through wing spars. The vehicle is sized to carry 300 passengers since this is typical of future supersonic transport designs and thought to be the minimum to achieve a competitive seat/mile cost.
LAPCAT - Configuration A2 Vehicle
Configuration A2 Mach 5 Civil Transport
The Airframe
The A2 airframe also has technology commonality with the Skylon launch vehicle. The main difference is that the A2 airframe is not designed for re-entry however it has to withstand prolonged flight at Mach 5 for several hours. Although not examined in detail it is anticipated that the A2 airframe would be constructed as a similar multi-layer structure to Skylon except with the addition of an actively cooled internal screen to intercept the heat leak from the hot aeroshell.
The A2 airframe also has technology commonality with the Skylon launch vehicle. The main difference is that the A2 airframe is not designed for re-entry however it has to withstand prolonged flight at Mach 5 for several hours. Although not examined in detail it is anticipated that the A2 airframe would be constructed as a similar multi-layer structure to Skylon except with the addition of an actively cooled internal screen to intercept the heat leak from the hot aeroshell.
Configuration A2 Vehicle | Scimitar Engine | Facts & Figures | Animation | Images
