Has an airliner ever broke the sound barrier?


Has an airliner ever broke the sound barrier? Although Concorde and the Tu-144 were the first aircraft to carry commercial passengers at supersonic speeds, they were not the first or only commercial airliners to break the sound barrier.


Has a 747 ever broken the sound barrier?

Aircraft are put through extreme testing during their certification, but such limits are never intended to be actually faced. The 747 -100, for instance, was tested up to Mach 0.99, almost breaking the sound barrier. Other 747s, such as Air Force One, have approached the sound barrier but never crossed it.


Can a pilot hear the sonic boom?

If you're WONDERing about how pilots handle sonic booms, they actually don't hear them. They can see the pressure waves around the plane, but people on board the airplane can't hear the sonic boom. Like the wake of a ship, the boom carpet unrolls behind the airplane.


What happens if a commercial plane breaks the sound barrier?

This pressure creates additional drag that the aircraft has to overcome or 'break through. ' The boom occurs as the waves compress into a single shock wave. This creates a loud boom as this high-pressure shock wave reaches the ground.


Can humans hear sonic booms?

All we see is the pressure wave moving down the aeroplane – it gives an indication on the instruments. And that's what we see around Mach 1. But we don't hear the sonic boom or anything like that. That's rather like the wake of a ship – it's behind us.


Has an a380 ever broken the sound barrier?

However, upon the completion of the test, the aircraft entered a shallow dive and started picking up speed, before breaking the sound barrier at approximately 10,000 meters (33,000 feet).


Can anything fly at Mach 1?

Flight faster than sound was thought to be impossible. In fact, the sound barrier was only an increase in the drag near sonic conditions because of compressibility effects. Because of the high drag associated with compressibility effects, aircraft do not cruise near Mach 1.


Do pilots like flying the A380?

The Pilots For those looking after the safety of everyone on board, the A380 is generally well-loved. “The A380 is a pleasure to operate,” said Nigel, a captain for a European airline. “Handling is similar to the A320, with the 380 being a little more sensitive in pitch. It's very nimble despite its size!”


Why don t we hear sonic booms anymore?

The power, or volume, of the shock wave depends on the quantity of air that is being accelerated, and thus the size and shape of the aircraft. As the aircraft increases speed the shock cone gets tighter around the craft and becomes weaker to the point that at very high speeds and altitudes no boom is heard.


Why is breaking the sound barrier illegal?

Fifty years ago, the federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land. The rule prohibits non-military aircraft from flying faster than sound so their resulting sonic booms won't startle the public below or concern them about potential property damage.


Can you feel turbulence on A380?

Any plane can experience turbulence, but larger planes weigh more and don't feel the impact of wind changes as much as a smaller plane. Specifically, the Airbus A380 handles turbulence very well! The A380 is a large plane mainly used for international flights.