Aircraft

11-03-11, 05:37 PM

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

_dgn_ · 11-03-11, 05:46 PM

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 · 11-03-11, 05:47 PM

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 · 11-03-11, 05:56 PM

JU_88 · 11-03-11, 06:01 PM

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

Herr-Berbunch · 11-03-11, 07:56 PM

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 · 11-03-11, 08:55 PM

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

F-4

F-14

F-15

F-16

F-22

11-03-11, 05:37 PM	#1
sidslotm Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Aircraft I found this picture online, I don't know what caused this but it's an amazing picture all the same.

11-03-11, 05:47 PM	#3
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	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. __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)

11-03-11, 07:56 PM	#6
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	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. __________________

11-03-11, 08:55 PM	#7
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Yeah, I know they'r mislabelled, but here are several jets showing the phenomenon. F-4 F-14 F-15 F-16 F-22 __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

11-03-11, 05:46 PM	#2
_dgn_ Machinist's Mate Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: France Posts: 122 Downloads: 331 Uploads: 0	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.

11-03-11, 05:56 PM	#4
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20

11-03-11, 06:01 PM	#5
JU_88 Silent Hunter Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK Posts: 3,813 Downloads: 11 Uploads: 0	SONIC BOOM! (and Im not referring to Guile in Street fighter)