View Full Version : Concorde Breaking Sound Barrier Vid...
Easy226
17th Feb 2006, 16:02
Have a look at this video of concorde breaking the sound barrier - never thought it would be that 'agressive'!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JOkSVlmuhY&search=concorde
When the aircraft did regular flights to New York, where abouts did this occur - im led to believe around the Bristol Channel area?
Many Thanks
Dan
The 'boom' travels with the aircraft's groundspeed across the ground/water, so it occurred everywhere whilst it was supersonic.
I doubt that it was supersonic around the Bristol Channel tho.
PAXboy
18th Feb 2006, 00:12
As I recall (the one time) that I was on board :} , we went supersonic south of Ireland. It was a scheduled flight to NYC and the departure route was out over the Bristol Channel but I know that we were certainly past Swansea. I'm sure that there will be an authoritative voice along shortly.
petitfromage
18th Feb 2006, 07:34
One of the great misconceptions wrt to the sound barrier is that the "bang" only happens as you go supersonic.
It is entirely untrue.
The shockwave is constant once youre through M1.0, so you infact leave a 'foot print' along your whole flight path.
More modern wing designs significant reduce the severity of the shockwave but until a more significant breakthrough occurs, transonic flights will by and large need to remain over the sea!
The shockwave can and has broken windows. I know of an F15 that went supersonic at 1500ft very near a rural township. Lets just say the damage was significant!
During the Concorde developement they actually flew supersonic on several occasions up and down the UK (not sure about France) to see how many noise complaints they would get.
Answer: Lots! (a bit twitchy about big bangs during the Cold War!)
I'll stand by to be corrected but it is my understanding that the Concordes footprint curtailed the proposed routes to the Middle East.
Fernando_Covas
18th Feb 2006, 15:36
The BA fleet began thier acceleration about 10 miles before a way point called UPGAS in the Bristol Channel which is about 30 miles off the coast of Swansea and would be supersoninc before the Irish Sea.
Max Angle
18th Feb 2006, 17:52
You can kind of see why countries didn't want it flying supersonic over them can't you.
pulse1
18th Feb 2006, 18:21
Used to hear that quite often when sailing across the Channel to/from France. I understand that it was the French Concorde just slowing down north of the CI. Didn't half make you jump!
Easy226
18th Feb 2006, 22:41
Oh right thanks a lot for the replies - interesting to know that petitfromage and looks like i am one of the many who thought that this occured only at one specific moment during the flight! Imagine how loud it would be if at 1,500 feet and would doubt someone would have their house left, let alone their windows!
Many Thanks
Dan
Sound Barrier ?
Strange how many persist with the use of 'sound barrier' when it is no longer one except in the sense of it being a significant drag rise. Way back there was thought to be a barrier to any human going much faster than a horse.
Now there is the next major barrier as we go speeding through our lower atmosphere. Heating from friction.
GlueBall
19th Feb 2006, 06:26
"During the Concorde developement they actually flew supersonic on several occasions up and down the UK (not sure about France) to see how many noise complaints they would get.
Answer: Lots! (a bit twitchy about big bangs during the Cold War!"
As I vividly recall, there were also days when the Concorde test flights were canceled, but when 100s of callers had registered noise complaints nevertheless. :p
When I was stationed at St. Mawgan in the early eighties we could hear/feel the boom at about 2015 every evening whenever it wasn't raining, it used to rattle the windows a little.
eyeinthesky
19th Feb 2006, 11:12
Wasn't there also an ocurrence last year of a couple of F16s from the Netherlands Air Force who went supersonic over Holland while chasing an airliner who had gone radio fail en route from Scandinavia to Spain? I never heard what comeback there was or wasn't about it.
Michael111
19th Feb 2006, 20:04
Hi
I did a channel crossing a few years back in a Yacht from South Coast UK to Jersey. Caught us off guard when Concorde went over as we thought the mast had broken because the boat shook so much. Also during the 1980's you could set your watch by the time the windows rattled each evening at 21:20 when one of them was in the area.
Michael
petitfromage
20th Feb 2006, 03:08
Returning from a sortie in the late 90's, one of my friends accidently went supersonic crossing the coast. Allegedly he knocked a house off its piles (I say allegedly because Im not sure we every coughed up any compensation!?)
Hence forth he assumed the nickname of "Boomer".
The is a quite frightening video of Concorde streaking past (5+miles away I guess?) one of those balloons attempting an around the world record at FL600'ish.
I think it was a publicity stunt (?) but quite obviously neither the pilots, organisers nor the balloonists had considered how dramatic the shockwave effect could/would be. The clip ends with significant screaming, swearing and shaking (and no doubt soiled undies as said balloonists scramble for their parachutes).
Thankfully all ended ok and the baloon stayed aloft.
I wonder if someone out there has a copy?