Aircraft

[sidslotm]

I found this picture online, I don't know what caused this but it's an amazing picture all the same.


http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/8818/military01.jpg

[_dgn_]

Nice pic !

It's the famous "sound barrier", first broken by a German pilot with his Me 262 or by the American test pilot Chuck Yeager.

[CCIP]

It's a transonic vapor cone - appears when there is enough humidity in the air at near the speed of sound.

The myth is that it's what "the sound barrier being broken" looks like, but that's actually not true. It typically appears at speeds close to the speed of sound, and depending on atmosphere conditions can actually appear at much lower speeds.

[Oberon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWGLAAYdbbc

[JU_88]

SONIC BOOM! (and Im not referring to Guile in Street fighter)

[Herr-Berbunch]

This is just a lucky combination of speed, pressure and humidity, there's no guarantee of it happening. Other aircraft do it too, including rockets, but for some reason the F/A-18 is particularly susceptible (or just the most photographed), and it has a name - the Prandtl-Glauert Singularity.

[Sailor Steve]

Yeah, I know they'r mislabelled, but here are several jets showing the phenomenon.

F-4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWD1UV4yNvw&NR=1

F-14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K72tnWEkIhQ

F-15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DSQTKgUNuk&feature=related

F-16
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=683I1VUfXqI

F-22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZQybaWnP-w&feature=related

[Herr-Berbunch]

Not just those beginning with F, either.

http://jazzroc.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/mach-cone-b-17.jpg?w=619&h=307

A B-1 wearing a tutu. :DL

Although this is primarily associated with approaching Mach 1, other aircraft do occasionally show similar traits according to the humidity, pressure, and temperature.

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/4893/vapour.jpg
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3723/a300st.jpg
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/4172/md11f.jpg

Aside from the Airbus, and one photo of a Mig, this seems to be very much an American thing? :hmmm: Yes, there are photos of the effects seen on these airliners on the world's other jets, but only the US ones seem to go for the full-on impressive cone. :o

[Jimbuna]

No matter....it's still an awesome sight to behold.

[RickC Sniper]

That's a nice picture sidslotm.

Would you happen to have a high-rez version?

[Stealhead]

"Although this is primarily associated with approaching Mach 1, other aircraft do occasionally show similar traits according to the humidity, pressure, and temperature."

I was stationed at Ramstein AB Germany for some time and was assgined to a unit that supported all the AMC C-5s,17s,141s,and 135s that stopped at the base. For some reason the slower speed vapor effect seemed only to occur with the C-17s which is a much more modern desgin than the other mentioned aircraft if it was foggy and misty out the C-17s would almost always leave an impressive vapor trail when they landed/took off and sometimes you could see this thin twisting twirl of vapor caused by the C-17s winglets very neat to see much like the Herrs bottom picture though the C-17 the little twirls where a slight bit more "twisty".Another neat effect that would occur with the C-5 and C-17s on a high humidity foggy day was a tornado like vortex that would rise from the ground to the engine intakes this only occurs at low engine speeds so you never saw it except for taxiying and when testing the engines.The Air Force frowns on you taking pictures on the flight line though even airmen that work there every day need permission to take pictures not to mention I was rather busy making the planes fly so I have no picture of such things.

I think that at least for the sound barrier vapor cone they know when that will occur based on the conditions.I think for some reason it is popular to show the sound barrier cone in the US surely MiGs and Tornadoes,Typhoons so on so forth have the aerodynamics to make it occur.The lower speed vapor I think relates to much more modern and improved airflow it is so good that in the right conditions you can see it I suspect that the use of winglets seems to have some effect in this as well.

[sidslotm]

That's a nice picture sidslotm.

Would you happen to have a high-rez version?

Sorry.