Boom Supersonic XB-1 jet breaks sound barrier on historic test flight (video)

[Admin]

Boom Supersonic made history today (Jan. 28) when its XB-1 jet broke the sound barrier for the first time on a test flight over the American desert.

Boom Supersonic XB-1 jet breaks sound barrier on historic test flight (video) : Read more

 

[Unclear Engineer]

So what was its supersonic atmospheric shock wave like? Did it go "BOOM" or "bump"?

 

[Classical Motion]

From what I've read, it takes a long needle nose to convert a boom into a bump. I think this is for civilian sonic use. With restricted areas.

Just a guess.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

This test aircraft has a long needle nose, plus other necessary shape features (e.g., engine air intake structures) carefully configured to either not create shock waves or to direct necessary shock waves upward instead of toward the ground.

So, it is being designed in the hope that it will not need to be restricted to specific areas and can overfly anywhere across the United States.

 

[Helio]

FWIW, its speed of Mach 1.1 is about 730 mph at 35k feet.

Odd that a company's name would refer to what it is trying to greatly minimize. Still, I kinda like the name. I enjoyed the supersonic "booms" in the late 50s. We, unlike those closer to the flight path, never lost a window. [Hmmm, I do have a hearing disorder.]

 

[Unclear Engineer]

When I was in Montana back in the 1960s. the military jets would hit us with a REALLY LOUD sonic boom every few days. Humans would jump with a major startle effect, but the horses we were on would not seem to react at all. But strangely, when a thunderstorm rolled in, and there was a much less loud and less sharp clap of thunder, the same horses would jump and then act skittish. So, they could tell the difference, somehow, and were probably evolved to act in a way to minimize being struck by lightning - which is probably an issue for animals who live on open plains.

The ranch never lost a window to those sonic booms, so far as I know. I have read that booms over a certain threshold can break glass. But, I think that neglects the direction that the pressure wave is travelling. If it is coming from above, I would expect greenhouse rooves to be more in jeopardy than windows on the sides of houses.

 

[Helio]

Nice story, UE.

There are a few sonic boom war stories that may surprise many.

Here is one, with animation, using an F16 in the Iraq war.

 

[Meteoric Marmot]

As an engineer, I geek out on the whole no-boom development process.

As a human hoping to maintain a livable planet, I'm disgusted that anyone would consider that supersonic passenger flight is an acceptable goal in light of the profligate fuel consumption and accompanying carbon footprint. The boom factor is irrelevant to this issue.

If these flying disasters do manifest themselves, I hope that all rational governments will ban overflight of their territories.