A method for concept exploration of hypersonic vehicles in the presence of open & evolving requirements

Several unique aspects of the design of hypersonic aerospace systems necessitate a truly multidisciplinary approach from the outset of the program. These coupled with a vague or changing requirements environment, provide an impetus for the development of a systematic and unified approach for the exploration and evaluation of alternative hypersonic vehicle concepts. The method formulated and outlined in this paper is founded upon non-deterministic conceptual & preliminary design formulations introduced over the past decade and introduces the concept of viewing system level requirements in a similar manner. The proposed method is then implemented for the concept exploration and design of a Hypersonic Strike Fighter in the presence of ambiguous open and/or evolving requirements. Copyright © 2000 by Hollingsworth and Mavris. Published by SAE International, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. with permission.