3 ms·

Seeing multiple parallel lines (I'm guessing condensation from the pressure wave?) makes me wonder if the boom you hear is actually multiple nearly simultaneous

• fuzzieozzie 11y ago
  it does -- and designing the plane to shape the shockwaves can reduce the perceived boom volume http://www.nasa.gov/aero/centers_tackle_sonic_boom.html http://www.nasa.gov/aero/centers_tackle_sonic_boom.html
  • detritus 11y ago
    When I was a child (Gosh, nearly thirty years ago now - where did it all go wrong?) I used to draw relatively snub-nosed planes that had an array of lasers firing so that they settled on a movable point ahead making a 'virtual nose'. The lasers could then diverge and move the concentrated focal point forward as it went faster, making the 'nose longer'. I always wondered whether there was anything in that, but I'm too stupid to work it out.
• xt00 11y ago
  I believe there is one wave caused by each leading and trailing edge of the plane's structure.. so there are 5 waves, 1) nose of plane, 2) leading edge of wing, 3) trailing edge of wing, 4) leading edge of vert stabilizer, 5) trailing edge of vert stabilizer / back end of the plane.. the angle tells you the mach number it is traveling at.. see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_shock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_shock
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