Question

As materials heat the thermal influences increase. What are the implications of thermal conductivity of the skin of an aircraft that flies supersonically?

Answer 1

The skin temperature drops initially as the aircraft climbs due to exposure to decreasing ambient air temperatures. As the speed increases, where the temperature begins to increase, the skin temperature reaches a maximum. the skin temperature would stay below 100°C (212°F);

During descent, the reverse occurs.

Significant stresses also occur in supersonic aircraft because of thermal variations. Differences in temperature throughout the structure cause different parts of the structure to expand by different amounts, giving rise to thermal stresses.

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