Droop nose (aeronautics)

Droop noses have typically been installed on supersonic airliners such as Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144; and high-speed experimental aircraft, such as the record-breaking Fairey Delta 2 and the Sukhoi T-4 strategic bomber.

Nicknamed "Droop Snoot",[1] the Delta 2 featured a relatively long tapered nose, which smoothly flowed into its cylindrical cross-section fuselage, to generate a high level of aerodynamic efficiency.

[3][4] The Delta 2 soundly demonstrated its favourable high-speed performance qualities during flight testing; rapidly proving to be faster than any other British-built aircraft in existence of that time.

[8] Around this time, Fairey sought to produce a straightforward fighter derivative of the Delta 2 that retained many of its features, with efforts largely centering around Operational Requirement F.155.

[9] However, on 4 April 1957, Duncan Sandys, the Minister of Defence, announced the effective termination of nearly all fighter aircraft development for the RAF, instantly removing the F.155 requirement.

[14] The droop nose enabled the airliner to switch between being streamlined to reduce drag for optimal aerodynamic efficiency and not obstructing the pilot's view during taxi, take-off, and landing operations.

The T-4 featured a sizable droop nose, which completely covered the cockpit windscreen when raised; a periscope was provided for the pilots to obtain forward visibility.