B2 Supersonic??

[expat]

Is this real or a good wind up. I was under the impression that the B2 was not supersonic. Even the Northrop Grumman website has it listed as hight end subsonic??

For real?

Matt

[Hagar]

That article contradicts itself.

This is the headline; Stealth Bomber Snapped At The Sound Barrier

This is what it says in the actual report; The B-2, officially known as the Spirit Bomber, has been captured on camera reaching high subsonic speed

[expat]

That article contradicts itself.

This is the headline; Stealth Bomber Snapped At The Sound Barrier

This is what it says in the actual report; The B-2, officially known as the Spirit Bomber, has been captured on camera reaching high subsonic speed

RTFQ Still typical Sky reporting, the headline says one thing and the story something else

Matt

[The Ruptured Duck]

Image looks a bit altered; at least the shockwave cloud doesn't look real.

[Hagar]

That article contradicts itself.

This is the headline; Stealth Bomber Snapped At The Sound Barrier

This is what it says in the actual report; The B-2, officially known as the Spirit Bomber, has been captured on camera reaching high subsonic speed

RTFQ

I read the fuc*ing question carefully & my reply was relevant. The article does not state that the B-2 is supersonic. A lot of 50s jet fighters like the Hunter & F-86 were subsonlic but could exceed Mach 1 in a shallow dive.

I have no idea if the photo is genuine. If it was released by the US military as claimed I assume that it is.

[Mobius]

You can get a cloud like that at high subsonic speeds.

[Isak922]

The effect shown in that picture is the easiest indicator that the aircraft is ABOUT to break the sound barrier. It isn't created by actually passing Mach 1.0, but in certain conditions the aircraft will build up condensation on the wings that has a varying visibility depending on weather conditions and current stresses on the aircraft.

I've seen pictures of 747-400's with condensation "clouds" like that on the wings.

Here's the Wikipedia article on it, for a basic idea of what it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prandtl-Gl ... ingularity


On to the topic itself; The B-2A Spirit could very well be a Supersonic aircraft. The official statement is that it's "High Subsonic". On the other hand, you have to remember that this is the United States Military's most expensive and advanced aircraft operating. I'm sure it has MANY secrets we don't know about; and honestly wouldn't be surprised if they could push Mach 1. How high above it? Probably not much, considering the air-frame... But it honestly wouldn't surprise me to see a declassified document stating a speed above that.

[flavio]

my 2 cents:

there were reports of mustangs and such breaking / almost breaking the sound barrier in world war II when they went into dives.

All that stealth would have to do is keep a nice descent rate at high power and im sure it wouldnt be fare fetched at all.

[Isak922]

my 2 cents:

there were reports of mustangs and such breaking / almost breaking the sound barrier in world war II when they went into dives.

All that stealth would have to do is keep a nice descent rate at high power and im sure it wouldnt be fare fetched at all.

P-51's breaking the sound barrier? Not that I've ever heard.

The F-86 did it very rarely in dives. Never officially, though.

One of the first combat ready aircraft to commonly break Mach 1.0 would probably be the F-100 Super Sabre. Along with the MiG-19 and MiG-21.

Before that era of aircraft, the planes couldn't take the stress and were torn to pieces or rendered uncontrollable. The MiG-17, for example, would lose control and thus was limited to around M0.93 or so.

[Hagar]

my 2 cents:

there were reports of mustangs and such breaking / almost breaking the sound barrier in world war II when they went into dives.

All that stealth would have to do is keep a nice descent rate at high power and im sure it wouldnt be fare fetched at all.

P-51's breaking the sound barrier? Not that I've ever heard.

The F-86 did it very rarely in dives. Never officially, though.

One of the first combat ready aircraft to commonly break Mach 1.0 would probably be the F-100 Super Sabre. Along with the MiG-19 and MiG-21.

Before that era of aircraft, the planes couldn't take the stress and were torn to pieces or rendered uncontrollable. The MiG-17, for example, would lose control and thus was limited to around M0.93 or so.

I believe the F-86 was the first jet aircraft to officially break the "Sound Barrier" in a dive. On May 18, 1953 Jackie Cochrane was the first woman to go supersonic in a Canadair F-86. Her wingman was Chuck Yeager. Other subsonic aircraft of the era did this on a regular basis including at air displays. The test pilots displaying at the annual Farnborough Air Show in the 1950s competed with each other to produce the most satisfying sonic booms. I can confirm this as I was there & heard it with my own ears. In August 1959 I broke the sound barrier twice in a Hawker Hunter T.7 trainer.

[DaveSims]

Prop driven aircraft have the problem that the propeller, due to its spinning, is moving considerably faster than the aircraft, which would then break the sound barrier first.  The shockwave would tear the engine from its mounts.

[scalper_old]

Chuck Yeager sorry his named was mentiond did anyone try his flight sim back in the day I had it for the Amiga?

[flavio]

my 2 cents:

there were reports of mustangs and such breaking / almost breaking the sound barrier in world war II when they went into dives.

All that stealth would have to do is keep a nice descent rate at high power and im sure it wouldnt be fare fetched at all.

P-51's breaking the sound barrier? Not that I've ever heard.

The F-86 did it very rarely in dives. Never officially, though.

One of the first combat ready aircraft to commonly break Mach 1.0 would probably be the F-100 Super Sabre. Along with the MiG-19 and MiG-21.

Before that era of aircraft, the planes couldn't take the stress and were torn to pieces or rendered uncontrollable. The MiG-17, for example, would lose control and thus was limited to around M0.93 or so.

You guys are probably right. Im just working with pilot hangar talk from my local airport here lol. I dont think they broke hte barrier, they just got mighty close. I dont think that B-2 photo is messed with.

Oh and since Yeager was mentioned, i just got the Chuck Yeager Award at my Civil Air Patrol Squadron for Aerospace Education (I took a 100 question exam, not too bad)

[Isak922]

my 2 cents:

there were reports of mustangs and such breaking / almost breaking the sound barrier in world war II when they went into dives.

All that stealth would have to do is keep a nice descent rate at high power and im sure it wouldnt be fare fetched at all.

P-51's breaking the sound barrier? Not that I've ever heard.

The F-86 did it very rarely in dives. Never officially, though.

One of the first combat ready aircraft to commonly break Mach 1.0 would probably be the F-100 Super Sabre. Along with the MiG-19 and MiG-21.

Before that era of aircraft, the planes couldn't take the stress and were torn to pieces or rendered uncontrollable. The MiG-17, for example, would lose control and thus was limited to around M0.93 or so.

I believe the F-86 was the first jet aircraft to officially break the "Sound Barrier" in a dive. On May 18, 1953 Jackie Cochrane was the first woman to go supersonic in a Canadair F-86. Her wingman was Chuck Yeager. Other subsonic aircraft of the era did this on a regular basis including at air displays. The test pilots displaying at the annual Farnborough Air Show in the 1950s competed with each other to produce the most satisfying sonic booms. I can confirm this as I was there & heard it with my own ears. In August 1959 I broke the sound barrier twice in a Hawker Hunter T.7 trainer.

A lot of Korean War era aircraft could break the sound-barrier in a dive, this is true. Not many could do it in level flight, or while climbing. This "feature" became very common during Vietnam, however.


I wish I was born in earlier years... Don't get to hear too many sonic booms anymore unless you live near a military base  :'(

[Hagar]

my 2 cents:

there were reports of mustangs and such breaking / almost breaking the sound barrier in world war II when they went into dives.

All that stealth would have to do is keep a nice descent rate at high power and im sure it wouldnt be fare fetched at all.

P-51's breaking the sound barrier? Not that I've ever heard.

The F-86 did it very rarely in dives. Never officially, though.

One of the first combat ready aircraft to commonly break Mach 1.0 would probably be the F-100 Super Sabre. Along with the MiG-19 and MiG-21.

Before that era of aircraft, the planes couldn't take the stress and were torn to pieces or rendered uncontrollable. The MiG-17, for example, would lose control and thus was limited to around M0.93 or so.

I believe the F-86 was the first jet aircraft to officially break the "Sound Barrier" in a dive. On May 18, 1953 Jackie Cochrane was the first woman to go supersonic in a Canadair F-86. Her wingman was Chuck Yeager. Other subsonic aircraft of the era did this on a regular basis including at air displays. The test pilots displaying at the annual Farnborough Air Show in the 1950s competed with each other to produce the most satisfying sonic booms. I can confirm this as I was there & heard it with my own ears. In August 1959 I broke the sound barrier twice in a Hawker Hunter T.7 trainer.

A lot of Korean War era aircraft could break the sound-barrier in a dive, this is true. Not many could do it in level flight, or while climbing. This "feature" became very common during Vietnam, however.


I wish I was born in earlier years... Don't get to hear too many sonic booms anymore unless you live near a military base