Yeah, but keep in mind that public ignorance of aviation terms was the inspiration for that scene in “Airplane!” where someone says, “That’s impossible. They’re on instruments.” Just be grateful they aren’t concerned that the “sonic boom” might damage that aircraft. “If it’s so loud down here …”
Could have a future then. The last time I heard a sonic boom (Rafale jet at around 30,000 ft, rushing from one end of France to the other to intercept a Russian in the channel) I nearly jumped out of my skin – it was so loud and sudden. News papers said it was heard over 500 km2. Our roofer said he was on a roof when it happened and he saw tiles jump.
Also used to live in the West Country of the UK, and every night at about 9.00pm would get the double boom from Concorde 80 km away in the middle of the channel. Parents used to let kids stay up till they heard it because it would always wake them.
Yeah if you’ve ever heard one, you never forget. Many years ago I was in Trenton Ontario, there’s an RCAF base there, A USAF demo team was practicing for an upcoming airshow with a pair of F-15s. After practice and on short final one of the F 15 pilots was told to go around. Perhaps out of frustration, he pulled the nose up, went to afterburner and broke Mach 1 going vertical. It blew out windows all over the city. Scared the crap out of me for a minute, but was so cool!
Boom’s web site makes the puzzling claim that there won’t be any more flights of XB-1 despite not reaching even the reduced target of the first Boom airliner concept.
Boom does need to test its Symphony engine somehow, I hope it also is ready for first Overture airliner to need tweaking, not get caught as many aircraft designs have - Boeing 787 for example, first few produced could not be refurbished and sold to airliners. Albeit an unusually badly led project for Boeing compared to B767 and B777.
Good job, Kor. I think by now we pretty much understand what a sonic boom is and widely accept what “breaking the sound barrier” meant. Don’t get me started.
SO … given THIS information, why the heck do we need the X-59 and its ‘test’ flights, then? Cancel it. Oh Elon … where ARE you … I have a suggestion …