How do you design an efficient supersonic inlet for a fighter aircraft?

Supersonic inlet design optimizes compression efficiency and flow distortion: External compression inlets use oblique shocks outside the cowl (simple, robust, higher drag); Internal compression uses shocks inside (lower drag, complex, unstart risk); Mixed compression combines both (most efficient for M > 2). Design considerations include: shock positioning for pressure recovery (target 85-95%), boundary layer bleed and diverter systems, variable geometry for multi-Mach operation, buzz and unstart prevention, distortion limits for engine compatibility (DC60 < 0.1), and integration with stealth requirements. Analysis combines 2D shock calculations, CFD with bleed modeling, and engine-inlet compatibility testing.