Breaking the sound barrier...

[.30savage]

These pics are of planes breaking the sound barrier...pretty cool for something that happens in the blink of your eye.

 

[Tarant]

it is so crazy, it looks lik they are coming form some portal. could you imagine the sound.

 

[dannyd]

Thats crazy. I did a google video search of it and found a few videos.
[ame="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7104276335210487780&q=sound+barrier"]Jet breaks sound barrier[/ame]
[ame="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4785175348178531287&q=sound+barrier"]F18 Breaking the Sound Barrier[/ame]

 

[hb1111]

whooooa....that was awesome looked totally insane

 

[Buggyracer28]

Thats awesome!!! So, what is actually happening when you break the sound barrier? I know its at a certain speed, but what makes that cone shaped cloud surrounding the jet when it happens?

 

[Tarant]

I dont think they truely know why the cone thing happens. I do know that their has to be very certain conditions, like temp, and humidity.

 

[Clintd]

The speed of sound is 741MPH at sea level and that cloud is water vapor. But I don't remember the reson it happons.

 

[neobart]

It's because when the plane moves through the air it compresses the air and sound in front of it. When it reaches mach 1, it catches up to its own sound and the water vapor condense in to a cone shape. At least, that's what I am lead to believe happens.

Have you ever noticed how a ambulance or fire engine with their sirens on, change pitch when the drive by you. That's the sound waves being compressed and elongated, as the vehicle moves toward you or away from you.

 

[NCNitro]

Have you ever noticed how a ambulance or fire engine with their sirens on, change pitch when the drive by you.

That's called doppler effect. But I don't think that has anything to do with the cone shaped cloud. :shrug:

Those are some very cool pics.

 

[Candyman]

Actually, it's what happens AFTER the typical Doppler effect. With that ambulance, it's still travelling slow enough that there are sound waves eminating out in front of it. That's the high pitch initial sound we hear as it's approaching. This other stuff happens as the jets punch through the sound barrier. It's at that moment that the jet is starting to outrun the sound it's making. Ideally, you would never hear the jet coming because all the sound it makes is trailing behind it. The cloud appears to come from an intense wall of sound pressure that forms as the speed of the aircraft begins to exceed the speed of the sound it's creating.
Here's a simple link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prandtl-Glauert_singularity

 

[neobart]

I figured I didn't have the terminology right. It was more for illustrative purpose. Cool pics none the less.

 

[hb1111]

another reason this is a great place....get help on your r/c and get taught how the vapor cloud apears when a f-18 breaks the sound barrier....lol awesome

 

[Carls_Mammoth]

When I worked the flight deck on the DD Eisenhower (CVN-69) I could never get enough of seeing the jets break the sound barrier. The F-14's were the best IMO. The sonic boom was so loud and awesome.. you could feel it pounding in your chest as it passed by!!!! I found this vid online, although I'll bet I could find some of my own if I looked hard enough...


http://www.break.com/index/flyby.html

 

[Buggyracer28]

found some more... this is sweet.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/sound/soupic/soubar2.jpg

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GvBS0DmiA0"]YouTube - mach[/ame]

 

[digger]

Those last 2 are killer.