Can airliners break the sound barrier?

Although Concorde and the Tu-144 were the first aircraft to carry commercial passengers at supersonic speeds, they were not the first or only commercial airliners to break the sound barrier.

Can a 747 break the sound barrier?

Key. While aircraft are put through extreme testing during their certification, these are never intended to be actually faced. The 747-100, for instance, was tested up to Mach 0.99, almost breaking the sound barrier. Other 747s, such as Air Force One, have approached the sound barrier but never crossed it.

Can a Boeing 777 break the sound barrier?

The Boeing 777-200 reportedly reached ground speeds of 745mph, almost breaking the sound barrier, 761mph, during its transatlantic journey.

What aircraft can break the sound barrier?

Supersonic aircraft have been used for research and military purposes, but only two supersonic aircraft, the Tupolev Tu-144 (first flown on December 31, 1968) and the Concorde (first flown on March 2, 1969), ever entered service for civil use as airliners.

Do Blue Angels break sound barrier?

Sonic booms occur when an aircraft surpasses the speed of sound. At a Blue Angels air show, there should never be a sonic boom, as we are not authorized to exceed the speed of sound at a show.

Who broke Mach 4?

Chuck Yeager
Service/branch United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
Years of service 1941–1947 (Army Air Forces) 1947–1975 (Air Force)
Rank Brigadier general
Battles/wars World War II Korean War Vietnam War

Can a 747 go Mach?

Answer: The Boeing 747 can cruise at 92% of the speed of sound, Mach . 92. It is very rarely flown at this speed due to the increased fuel burn required. Most modern jets fly around 80% of the speed of sound, Mach .

Why do we no longer hear sonic booms?

Why don’t we ever hear sonic booms any more? Noise abatement regulations halted supersonic flight (by civil aircraft) over U.S. land. The Concorde could still take off and land here because it broke the sound barrier over the ocean, but it’s no longer in service.

Can airplanes go 700 mph?

Flyers have been wowed by quick 5-hour and 15 minutes long flights from New York to London and impressive 700 mph-plus speed readings. On a Boeing 777! Not since the Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde — capable of cruising at twice the speed of sound — has any commercial airliner been able to sustain supersonic performance.

Can an airplane go Mach 1?

Flight faster than sound was thought to be impossible. In fact, the sound barrier was only an increase in the drag near sonic conditions because of compressibility effects. Because of the high drag associated with compressibility effects, aircraft do not cruise near Mach 1.

What do pilots hear when they break the sound barrier?

These days, we have supersonic jets – airplanes that can travel faster than the speed of sound itself! Now, you might already know that when a plane, or in fact anything, travels faster than the speed of sound (i.e., breaks the sound barrier), a loud boom is heard, which is commonly known as a sonic boom.