Tyler Wynn
Breaking the sound barrier is one of the most significant milestones in aviation history. The sound barrier refers to the challenges that arise when an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, typically around 767 miles per hour at sea level. As aircraft approach this speed, they encounter a series of aerodynamic effects, including increased drag, turbulence, and shock waves, which make it difficult to accelerate through Mach 1. While 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. Several companies are now working on the next generation of supersonic commercial airliners, aiming to reduce travel times on transcontinental flights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | The sound barrier refers to the challenges that arise when an aircraft approaches the speed of sound. |
| Speed | Typically around 767 miles per hour (1,235 kilometers per hour) at sea level. |
| Speed Variation | The speed can vary depending on altitude, temperature, and air pressure. |
| Speed at Different Altitudes | At 35,000 feet, where the ambient temperature is -54°C, the local speed of sound is 295 meters per second (660 miles per hour). |
| Speed at Different Temperatures | The speed of sound increases by about 0.6 m/s for every degree Centigrade increase in temperature. |
| Speed at 20°C | 345 meters per second (770 miles per hour). |
| Speed at 68°F | 343 meters per second (about 767 miles per hour, 1,234 kilometers per hour, or 1,125 feet per second). |
| Mach Number | Mach 1 (the speed of sound). Mach numbers greater than 1 indicate supersonic speeds. |
| Sonic Boom | When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, it produces a sonic boom, a loud explosion-like sound heard on the ground. |
| Shock Waves | Breaking the sound barrier creates shock waves that propagate outward from the plane in a cone-shaped pattern. |
| Pressure Changes | As an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, it encounters increased drag, turbulence, and shock waves due to pressure changes. |
| Supersonic Airliners | Concorde and the Tu-144 were the first aircraft to carry commercial passengers at supersonic speeds. |
| First Supersonic Flight | In 1947, Chuck Yeager piloted the Bell X-1 and became the first person to surpass Mach 1, breaking the sound barrier. |
| First Supersonic Airliner Flight | On August 21, 1961, a Douglas DC-8 broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.012 (776.2 miles per hour) in a controlled dive through 41,088 feet (12,510 meters). |
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What You'll Learn
The first supersonic airliners
The development of supersonic aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1) was pursued in the second half of the twentieth century. Supersonic aircraft have been used for military purposes, but only two supersonic aircraft, the Tupolev Tu-144 and the Concorde, have entered service for civil use as airliners.
The Concorde was a retired Anglo-French supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). The programme began in 1954, and a UK-France treaty was signed in 1962, with the programme cost estimated at £70 million (£1.68 billion in 2023). The first flight took place on March 2, 1969, from Toulouse. The Concorde had a transatlantic range and could supercruise at twice the speed of sound for 75% of the distance. It entered service on January 21, 1976, with Air France and British Airways as its sole customers. Despite the Concorde's technical achievements, it faced challenges such as high development costs, expensive construction materials, high fuel consumption, and increased emissions.
The Tupolev Tu-144 was the first supersonic transport (SST) to fly, first taking to the skies on December 31, 1968. It was produced by the Soviet Union and last transported passengers in June 1978, with its final flight in 1999 by NASA. The Tu-144 could carry passengers at supersonic speeds and was the only competitor to the Concorde. However, its service was cut short after a crash in May 1978.
While these two airliners were groundbreaking in their time, they faced obstacles that prevented them from reaching their full commercial potential. Since the Concorde's retirement in 2003, there have been no SSTs in commercial service. However, several companies are now working on the next generation of supersonic commercial airliners, aiming to reduce travel times and incorporate advanced aerodynamic designs and noise-reduction technologies.
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The physics of breaking the sound barrier
The sound barrier refers to the challenges that arise when an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, typically around 767 miles per hour (1,235 kilometers per hour) at sea level. This speed can vary depending on altitude, temperature, and air pressure, but for simplicity, it is often referred to as Mach 1. Breaking the sound barrier was a groundbreaking achievement in aviation, paving the way for supersonic and hypersonic exploration.
As an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, it encounters several aerodynamic effects, including increased drag, turbulence, and shock waves. These forces make it difficult to accelerate through Mach 1. The most critical event that occurs when breaking the sound barrier is the formation of shock waves. At subsonic speeds, sound waves generated by the aircraft's movement travel ahead of the aircraft in all directions. However, as the plane approaches Mach 1, it begins to compress the air in front of it, creating pressure waves that stack up and form a single, intense shock wave.
The change in pressure as the aircraft outruns the pressure waves in front of it is heard on the ground as an explosion or sonic boom. This sonic boom is a continuous loud sound that occurs as long as the aircraft remains supersonic. It is caused by the compressed air pressure that builds up along the plane's flight path and is released as a sharp, thunderous sound when it reaches the ground. The sonic boom can be startling and even cause minor structural damage, which is why civilian aircraft are typically prohibited from flying at supersonic speeds over populated areas.
The principles discovered during the first flights that broke the sound barrier continue to be used in modern military aircraft, which routinely exceed Mach 2 in combat situations. Today, several companies are working on the next generation of supersonic commercial airliners, aiming to reduce travel times on transcontinental flights. These planes will incorporate advanced aerodynamic designs and noise-reduction technologies, potentially making supersonic travel more accessible to the general public.
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The sound barrier as a milestone in aviation history
The sound barrier is one of the most significant milestones in aviation history. Breaking the sound barrier refers to an aircraft exceeding the speed of sound, which is typically around 767 miles per hour (1,235 kilometres per hour) at sea level. This speed can vary depending on altitude, temperature, and air pressure.
As an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, it encounters increased drag, turbulence, and shock waves, making it challenging to accelerate through Mach 1. These forces create a barrier that an aircraft must overcome to achieve supersonic flight. Breaking the sound barrier was a groundbreaking achievement, offering new insights into the physics of flight and paving the way for future supersonic and hypersonic exploration.
On October 14, 1947, Captain Chuck Yeager became the first person to surpass Mach 1 by piloting the Bell X-1, an almost rocket-like plane. This historic flight marked a pivotal moment in aviation, as humankind conquered the limits of airspeed for the first time. The sound barrier was once considered an impenetrable obstacle, but Yeager's feat demonstrated that it could be overcome with the right technology and understanding.
The Concorde, a supersonic passenger jet jointly developed by the United Kingdom and France in the 1960s, became the first commercial aircraft to carry passengers at supersonic speeds. While the Concorde and the Soviet-built Tu-144 were pioneers in supersonic commercial aviation, they were eventually retired without direct successors. Despite this, the legacy of these aircraft and the pioneering spirit of breaking the sound barrier continue to inspire the development of the next generation of supersonic airliners.
Today, military aircraft routinely exceed Mach 2 in combat, and companies are working on making supersonic travel more accessible to the general public. The journey to break the sound barrier has not only revolutionized aviation but also expanded our understanding of the physics of flight, leading to advancements in aircraft design and performance.
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Airliners that can break the sound barrier
The sound barrier refers to the challenges that arise when an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, usually around 767 miles per hour (1,235 kilometres per hour) at sea level. This speed varies depending on altitude, temperature, and air pressure. Breaking the sound barrier is considered a groundbreaking achievement in aviation, but it was just the beginning of supersonic and hypersonic exploration.
As an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, it encounters a series of aerodynamic effects, including increased drag, turbulence, and shock waves. These forces make it difficult to accelerate through Mach 1. When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, it generates shock waves that propagate outward from the plane in a cone-shaped pattern. These shock waves are known as a sonic boom and can be heard on the ground as a loud explosion or boom.
The Concorde was the first supersonic passenger jet and the only supersonic airliner in the Western world. It was developed in the 1960s as a joint venture between the United Kingdom and France and retired in 2003. The Tupolev Tu-144 was another supersonic passenger jet that entered service in the 1970s but has since been retired.
While there have been other aircraft that have broken the sound barrier, such as the Douglas DC-8 and the Handley-Page Victor, there are currently no airliners in operation that can routinely break the sound barrier. Several companies are now working on the next generation of supersonic commercial airliners, aiming to reduce travel times on transcontinental flights. These planes will incorporate advanced aerodynamic designs and noise-reduction technologies, making supersonic travel more accessible to the general public.
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The legality of supersonic flight over population centres
The main concern with supersonic flight over populated areas is the occurrence of sonic booms. When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, it creates shock waves that propagate outward in a cone-shaped pattern. These shock waves can be heard on the ground as a loud boom, known as a sonic boom. This boom can startle people and even cause minor structural damage, which is why civilian aircraft are typically prohibited from flying at supersonic speeds over populated areas.
In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned all civilian supersonic flights over land, citing the negative impact of sonic booms on humans and animal populations below. This ban was influenced by public opinion surveys and incidents such as the F-105 Thunderchief fighter jet breaking the sound barrier and blowing out 200 windows at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.
However, some have questioned the necessity of a blanket ban on supersonic flight over the entire country. They argue that transcontinental supersonic flights could be routed mainly over sparsely populated areas, with only brief periods of subsonic flight over major population centres. Additionally, the FAA has been accused of protecting US airlines from competition by banning supersonic flights, as European aircraft like the Concorde were already operating supersonic flights successfully.
To address these concerns, NASA is working on the Quesst mission, which aims to develop an aircraft that can fly faster than sound but generate quieter sonic "thumps" instead of booms. NASA plans to fly this aircraft over several communities to survey how people react and assess the public's perception of this reduced noise. The goal is to shift the regulatory focus from speed limits to the sound created by aircraft, potentially allowing for the lifting of the ban on supersonic flight over population centres.
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Frequently asked questions
The sound barrier is the large increase in aerodynamic drag and other undesirable effects experienced by an aircraft or other object when it approaches the speed of sound.
As an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, it encounters a series of aerodynamic effects, including increased drag, turbulence, and shock waves. These forces make it difficult to accelerate through Mach 1. When an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, it is said to be supersonic.
A sonic boom is the sound created when an aircraft or other object breaks the sound barrier. When an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound, it generates shock waves that propagate outward from the plane in a cone-shaped pattern. These shock waves reach the ground, where they are perceived as a sudden, loud boom.
The Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144 are the only two supersonic airliners to have entered commercial service. Before them, on 21 August 1961, a Douglas DC-8 broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.012 while in a controlled dive.
Supersonic flight over population centres is strictly illegal due to the noise issues and potential damage caused by sonic booms. Current airliners may also be able to break the sound barrier, but there are a lot of inherent risks to the airframe if the plane's speed hovers at Mach 1.
