Early Transport Aircraft Studies

In 1973, a series of studies sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were begun to explore the potential of hydrogen in aircraft at greater depth. The early studies performed for NASA started with analyses of supersonic aircraft. Conceptual design studies of subsonic aircraft started the following year, in 1974, with contracts awarded by NASA-Langley Research Center. In order to permit focusing the Lockheed effort on work related to the aircraft side of the problem, it was mandated that the LH₂ was to be considered available in storage at the airport. While the aircraft studies were underway at Lockheed, NASA funded other studies to investigate processes, energy requirements, and costs involved in manufacture, transmission, and liquefaction of hydrogen. A pictorial representation of the LH₂-fueled, supersonic transport aircraft design which resulted from the preliminary studies performed by Lockheed California Co. for NASA-Ames Research Center.