Understanding and exploiting the interactions of all of the supersonic technology challenges is key to the creation of practical designs. This will require application of analysis tools at levels of integration currently not achievable. To accomplish this, a flexible, scalable integration framework must be developed in which variable fidelity analysis tools can be used.

A wide range of advances will be required to transform this framework into a tool that truly enables Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization.

Challenges facing achievement of such MDAO breakthroughs include the following:

• Development of tools to rapidly generate geometry information that is parametric and scalable in detail
• Development of improved system-level analysis and design capabilities, including low, medium, and high-fidelity techniques
• New techniques to seamlessly integrate data from tools at different levels of fidelity while processing and monitoring potentially large amounts of data
• New optimization approaches that can handle the many and disparate constraints involved in supersonic aircraft design

Validation of tools and technologies being developed within the project occur within all of the technology challenge areas. The validation of systems-level tools and approaches requires a much larger investment and level of integration. Within the Supersonics Project, a small number of design studies will be undertaken to lay the groundwork for future large-scale validation efforts.