2006-10-06 11:23:39 · 14 answers · asked by Me 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
They are US B52 bombers. These are flying worldwide everyday over most countries at 50- 60,000 feet, much higher than commercial airliners. Often you will see several flying in the same direction at the same time. Get some good binoculars and you can see how big they are.
2006-10-06 18:34:45 · answer #1 · answered by brainstorm 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Jet engines make the Trails you see. Prop engines, both turbo and piston can cause the condensation, but more often than not, the turbulance caused by the propellers busts it up so it doesn't make a trail.
They are called Contrails - short for condensation trails. When an engine sucks in air, it compresses it, mixes it with fuel, and burns it. This heats it up A LOT. The air is then exhuasted at high speed out the back (or out the pipes for a piston engine) and it expands rapidly, losing heat. Now if the atmpspheric pressure, temperature, and humidity are right, water vapor (a gas) in the air, condenses into tiny water droplets (a liquid) - kind of like a cloud. That is the contrail you see.
If you can get a scanner and listen in on the weather broadcasts from an airport, you will occassionally hear them advising that contrails will form at a certain altitude.
2006-10-06 12:08:00 · answer #2 · answered by APRock 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Any type of aircraft can make the vapor trails. Well most anyway. It is from water condensing because of the vortices created by the wing tips. the pressure differential causes the moisture in the air to condense which creates a "cloud" trail behind the aircraft. It normally happens at approx. 30,000 feet. depending upon the density altitude.
2006-10-06 11:28:10 · answer #3 · answered by mikis1967 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nearly all aircraft will make a "vapor" trail. Has something to do with the change in air temp as it crosses the wings. Not sure of the particulars though...
2006-10-06 11:26:28 · answer #4 · answered by Fatboy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pretty much any aircraft can make vapor trails when the conditions are right. Most commonly it's a jet aircraft at altitude, but that's not an absolute.
2006-10-06 12:27:07 · answer #5 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Vapor trails are made by jet engines. The more humid the air the longer the vapor trail will be.
2006-10-06 11:33:57 · answer #6 · answered by tracie a 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Given the right atmospheric conditions, any aircraft can make vapor trails in the sky.
For higher altitudes, jets are doing it, commercial or military.
2006-10-06 11:25:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jet engines cause vapor trails
2006-10-06 11:25:29 · answer #8 · answered by ec1177 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally speaking, jet engines above 25,000 feet with building humidity. Notice it always rains a day or two after you see the vapor trails. It's a signal that additional moisture cannot be absorbed.
2006-10-06 11:37:49 · answer #9 · answered by szydkids 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jets are often very extreme here, till it is the RAF, wherein case they have a tendency to be skimming alongside purely some ft off the floor. it is been extremely cloudy, so i'm unable to assert that it stands proud as an argument at present.
2016-11-26 21:48:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋