something to do with the doppler effect and supersonic speeds
2007-09-25 15:21:20 · 2 answers · asked by To-the-Stars 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It's difficult for an aircraft to break the sound barrier because of the pressure barrier (sound barrier) that pushes back on the aircraft as it speeds up to travel at the speed of sound. The pressure barriers are shockwaves that drag on the aircraft to slow it down. If it has enough thrust to push it to the speed of sound and beyond, the pressure barrier intensifies until it accelerates beyond the speed of sound when an explosion is heard. With the shockwaves now trailing the aircraft because its traveling supersonically and the shockwaves are limited to traveling at the speed of sound, the doppler effect causes us to see the aircraft before we hear it.
2007-09-25 16:03:44 · answer #1 · answered by JimmyW 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. A shock wave forms which can affect the control surfaces. A poor design will allow these surfaces to be enclosed inside the wave, making them ineffective.
2007-09-25 15:24:34 · answer #2 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋