A closeup of the above pic, notice the visual distortion caused by the shockwaves... cool huh?
The jet itself is not yet supersonic, but is in the transonic region. The air itself is accelerated to supersonic speed when it encounters an obstruction (like a bump on the fuselage). When it slows back down below supersonic speed, it creates a pressure wave which causes the visual distortions. Those pressure waves can be seen radiating from specific points on the aircraft (including the canopy). Someone sent me this explanation...I filed the note away, but can't seem to find it at the moment! I'll properly credit it when I find the name.
More cool pics.
Thanks to BG
No comments:
Post a Comment