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What makes a plane Super Sonic?
Supersonic flights are so called because they travel faster than the speed of sound. To do this, the aircraft must break through the sound barrier, which requires an efficient aerodynamic design to reduce drag, and considerable thrust from powerful engines to overcome the turbulence caused by shock waves.
What is wrong with sonic booms?
Sonic booms aren’t just loud; they can also cause physical damage, breaking glass, cracking plaster, and shaking objects off shelves. A boom from a single fighter aircraft in 1966 dislodged tons of rock, crushing archaeological sites in the famous Canyon de Chelly National Monument.
Are there any aircraft that fly at supersonic speeds?
Most supersonic aircraft, including many military fighter aircraft, are designed to spend most of their flight at subsonic speeds, and only to exceed the speed of sound for short periods such as when intercepting an enemy aircraft.
What causes a sonic boom in an airplane?
For steady supersonic flight, the boom is described as a carpet boom since it moves with the aircraft as it maintains supersonic speed and altitude. Some maneuvers, diving, acceleration or turning, can cause focusing of the boom. Other maneuvers, such as deceleration and climbing, can reduce the strength of the shock.
Why is supersonic flight referred to as compressible flow?
The aerodynamics of supersonic flight is called compressible flow because of the compression (physics) associated with the shock waves or ” sonic boom ” created by any object travelling faster than sound. Aircraft flying at speeds above Mach 5 are often referred to as hypersonic aircraft .
How does a shock wave affect an airplane?
Air acts much differently at supersonic speeds than it does at subsonic speeds. When an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, the airflow over the wing reaches supersonic speed before the airplane itself does, and a shock wave forms on the wing. The airflow behind the shock wave breaks up into a turbulent wake, increasing drag.