Originally Posted by
OJ 72
LOMCEVAK, Timelord...the self-same pilot also took me supersonic in a Bucc at the end of an airtest.
When I pointed out that this would be contrary to the FRC/Aircrew Manual limitations, the suave, rather louche reply from the front cockpit was...'James, my dear chap. We did this all the time in the Navy'!!!
So that's all right then!!!
I haven't seen RP for a while but this will be an interesting chat over a beer! The clean aircraft limit was 0.95M but directional stability was rather weak by then to say the least! I have no doubt that you could get to 1.0M indicated, and perhaps that was actually 1.0M true, but what interests me is the recovery from the dive. I suspect that there was a deceleration with idle thrust and/or airbrake before the pull out because the tailplane would have been not very powerful.
Airflow at high subsonic speeds can become supersonic at various points around an airframe. I have seen standing shockwaves above the wing of several commercial airliners and there are a few online videos that demonstrate this. When the entire aircraft goes supersonic, is that the point at which the shockwave moves rearward to the trailing edge?
The definition of 'transonic' is the speed range from when a point of local airflow first goes supersonic until all of the airflow over the wing is supersonic, and there will be a shock wave at the trailing edge at that point. Therefore, what you have described is the transonic region.