this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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I wish these images of the ring-clouds and shockwaves would stop being posted as the event that denotes the transition of the aircraft to supersonic flight.
No. This does not indicate the sound barrier was just broken.
Shockwaves begin to form in subsonic flight when parts of the aircraft may experience transonic speeds. Even airliners can have transonic flow, the MD 80 was known for having a visible shockwave on the wing you could see if the sun hit it just right.
Shockwaves exist and grow from subsonic, to transonic, to supersonic flight as different parts of the aircraft experience different airflow.
At no point is there a shockwave that appears signifying the transition of the aircraft as a whole to supersonic flight.
No no no. The plane had to push really hard until it bursts through the sound barrier like it's going through a balloon! That's why you hear it go BOOM. it's the big sound balloon popping!
/s