Blog

What happens when a plane exceeds the speed of sound?

What happens when a plane exceeds the speed of sound?

When an aircraft is flying at supersonic speeds the sound pressure forms a cone whose vertex is at the nose of the plane. Anything exceeding the speed of sound creates a “sonic boom”, not just airplanes. An airplane, a bullet, or the tip of a bullwhip can create this effect; they all produce a crack.

When a plane flies faster than the speed of sound the sonic boom is?

If the plane is traveling slower than the speed of sound (the speed of sound varies, but 700 mph is typical through air), then sound waves can propagate ahead of the plane. If the plane breaks the sound barrier and flies faster than the speed of sound, it produces a sonic boom when it flies past.

READ ALSO:   What are the functions of Nuepa?

Does a sonic boom occur at the moment when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound explain?

A sonic boom does not occur only at the moment an object crosses the speed of sound; and neither is it heard in all directions emanating from the supersonic object. Rather the boom is a continuous effect that occurs while the object is travelling at supersonic speeds.

At what speed does an aircraft have to achieve to break the sound barrier?

about 770 mph
U.S. Navy For an airplane to break the sound barrier, it must hit speeds of about 770 mph — when it does that a couple of things happen.

Who broke the speed of sound?

Chuck Yeager
U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. Yeager, born in Myra, West Virginia, in 1923, was a combat fighter during World War II and flew 64 missions over Europe.

READ ALSO:   What is optimal sleep hygiene?

What causes sonic boom?

Sonic boom is an impulsive noise similar to thunder. It is caused by an object moving faster than sound — about 750 miles per hour at sea level. When the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, these pressure waves combine and form shock waves which travel forward from the generation or “release” point.

What plane did Chuck Yeager fly in ww2?

P-51 Mustang
There was that time during World War II when Yeager, flying a P-51 Mustang, shot down a German Messerschmitt Me-262, the world’s first operational jet fighter, which wreaked havoc on allied aircraft when introduced late in the war.