Can a Jetliner break the sound barrier?

It’s astonishing, for sure, that the tailwinds and headwinds were that strong, but the sound barrier was never threatened. And — as long as we’re talking about Mach I technically — it’s impossible for a commercial jetliner to break it.

Can commercial aircraft break the sound barrier?

The sound barrier understood By the 1950s, many combat aircraft could routinely break the sound barrier in level flight, although they often suffered from control problems when doing so, such as Mach tuck. Modern aircraft can transit the “barrier” without control problems.

What happens when an airplane blows up the sound barrier?

When the object has passed over the observer, the pressure disturbance waves (Mach waves) radiate toward the ground, causing a sonic boom. Then, just as the aircraft bursts through the sound barrier, the air is locally disturbed by the resulting shock wave and the condensation/vapor cloud disappears.

Can a commercial airliner go supersonic?

US airline United has announced plans to buy 15 new supersonic airliners and “return supersonic speeds to aviation” in the year 2029. Supersonic passenger flights ended in 2003 when Air France and British Airways retired Concorde.

When did it become illegal to break the sound barrier?

In the 1950s and ’60s, Americans filed some 40,000 claims against the Air Force, whose supersonic jets were making a ruckus over land. Then in 1973, the FAA banned overland supersonic commercial flights because of sonic booms—a prohibition that remains in effect today.

Do planes go 700 mph?

Whilst passenger jets usually cruise at roughly the same airspeed, the wind can make a big difference to the speed at which the aircraft passes over the ground. When a strong tailwind occurs, such as when crossing the Atlantic from West to East, the aircraft’s ground speed might reach exceed over 700mph.

Can a 747 do Mach 1?

A 747 is certainly capable of going supersonic. Boeing and other entities have tested it right up to the threshold of Mach 1 (around 0.98 or 0.99).

Can a 747 break the sound barrier?

A 747 is certainly capable of going supersonic. Boeing and other entities have tested it right up to the threshold of Mach 1 (around 0.98 or 0.99). Note the part where Evergreen actually took a 747 supersonic.

Is a sonic boom illegal?

How do tailwinds work with planes?

Tailwinds, on the other hand, work with an aircraft because they blow in the direction of the flight path. When a plane is flying with tailwinds, the speed of those winds is, in a way, added to the speed in which the aircraft is flying. This is what’s happening when a return flight takes less time than…

How do headwinds work against planes?

Headwinds are what work against an aircraft because these winds blow against an aircraft’s flight path. Planes flying against headwinds are essentially slowed down by that wind. Think about running into the wind: it’s much harder to run into the wind than with the wind (more on this later).

Why did the plane fail to exceed the speed of sound?

Since airspeed is the difference between ground speed and wind speed, the plane failed to exceed the speed of sound. Guys…. ground speed =/= air speed. The flight going 801mph was ground speed, not air speed.

Why do airplanes fly into the wind for takeoff?

Flying into the wind for takeoff will help an airplane lift sooner than if it were flying through still air. Because the plane is flying against the wind, it will travel a shorter distance, therefore taking off faster/in a shorter distance. It will also lead to a steeper climb path which can help planes clear obstacles.