I wonder, what's the smallest possible size for a UAV capable of sustained supersonic flight at the current technology level? Let's say 10 minutes of flight at 1.1 M.
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$\begingroup$ The answer to your question depends on way to many factors, so I doubt you will receive a definite answer. For example: 10 mins. of flight at what altitude? Does it have to take off by itself or can it be launched from a plane or using a booster rocket? Etc... $\endgroup$– EiverMar 14, 2014 at 14:00
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$\begingroup$ @Eiver: I understand it's not an aviation engineering forum, and I'm not trying to ask an aviation engineering question. I just wonder how small a size (length / wingspan) an aircraft can possibly have and achieve supersonic speed without falling apart. 1 meter? 10 meters? As for your specific questions - let's say a couple hundred meters altitude, and it does have to take off using its main thruster, no boosters. $\endgroup$– Violet GiraffeMar 14, 2014 at 14:10
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$\begingroup$ There's at least one what-if.xkcd that touches on this problem -- fuel weight vs. platform weight. $\endgroup$– Carl WitthoftMar 14, 2014 at 14:53
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$\begingroup$ Its just that different requirements yield different designs and different engines (turbojet, ramjet, pulsejet). Hence different weight. I guess if the only requirement is a 10 min flight, then the resulting plane could be quite small (just the engine and a fuel tank with small wings). $\endgroup$– EiverMar 14, 2014 at 15:00
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$\begingroup$ @Eiver: wouldn't structural integrity be the main concern? That's how I was thinking, which is why I thought Physics.SO is not a bad place to ask this. $\endgroup$– Violet GiraffeMar 14, 2014 at 17:22
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2 Answers
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As I talked in the comments. Physicists are rarely concerned with "current technology level" and are more interested in ultimate laws of physics. There is no physical law, which places an ultimate limit on the size an weight of an aircraft. You could reduce it to one atom, if you can call one atom an aircraft :P. It all comes down to engineering and not physics.
I managed to find this article though:
supersonic unmanned aerial vehicles close to becoming reality
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I think your answer would be a bullet or missile. Both are small and reach supersonic speeds. Being small is actually an advantage.
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$\begingroup$ None of those uses wings to create lift. I should have probably added that clarification to the question. $\endgroup$ Mar 14, 2014 at 17:21