Strategies for Aircraft Interior Noise Reduction in Existing and Future Propeller Aircraft

Airline deregulation and the high cost of fuel have caused a renewed interest in propeller-driven aircraft as a replacement for existing turbofan aircraft. Since passengers on existing turbofan aircraft have become accustomed to lower interior noise than exists in current propeller aircraft, there has been a renewed interest in interior noise control by reduction of propeller source noise, by design of lightweight fuselage soundproofing and other noise reduction concepts. This paper discusses the noise control problem from a source noise and aircraft design standpoint. The existing state-of-the-art is reviewed and the promising strategies for reducing noise in propeller aircraft are discussed.