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More On Silent Supersonic Planes

Posted by timothy on from the more-of-a-phhhhffftt dept.

Reverberant writes "Popular Science describes the latest attempt at developing a supersonic plane designed to minimize sonic booms. The article describes some of the history behind the research, and recent attempts at validating the theory. Also note that researcher Ken Plotkin is a frequent contributer to alt.sci.physics.acoustics."

4 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. windows by dollargonzo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    is it just me being paranoid, or is not having any windows and having cameras send external images to the cockpit a "bad thing." obviously, without computer systems, the planes are almost useless, but if anything happens to the camera, the pilot can't even *see* outside the plane.

    --
    BSD is for people who love UNIX. Linux is for those who hate Microsoft.
    1. Re:windows by the+pickle · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Assuming all hydraulic systems are fully operative, a 777 or 747 can actually do the last 50 feet, too.

      We pilots are there in case something goes wrong, and because ATC doesn't issue the exact same route every single time. Someone has to input the proper arrival procedure for the destination, since weather changes a LOT. ;)

      p

      --
      In Korea, long hair is for old people!
  2. Let's rather make subsonic planes silent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That's very interesting, but would not it make more sense to make the normal, subsonic planes more silent? They are much more in use, and the noise causes a lot of grief near airports, especially at night. Here in Brussels, this problem is already for years on the political agenda, being a very difficult problem to solve (economics vs. health...), so silent planes are really a must!

  3. EVERYONE has heard a sonic boom by GuyMannDude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've never heard a sonic boom... so I'm not really sure how loud they are, but a co-worker described it as "pretty much sounds like thunder".

    EVERYONE has heard a sonic boom at one point: the crack of a whip. That sound you hear is not the tip of the whip hitting anything. It's the sound of the tip accelerating beyond the speed of sound and creating a mini-sonic boom. That little flick at the end causes the tip to snap out at incredible speed.

    Now as far as a big sonic boom, I haven't heard one either. I'm sure there are some pretty strict regulations about not creating sonic booms in civilian areas.

    GMD

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    watch this