SUPERSONIC FLIGHT

SUPERSONIC FLIGHT

Supersonic flight is one of the four speeds of flight. Objects moving at supersonic speeds are going faster than the speed of sound.

The speed of sound is about 768 miles per hour at sea level. That is about four times faster than a racecar.

Supersonic includes speeds up to five times faster than the speed of sound!

The first person to fly an aircraft faster than the speed of sound was Capt. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager.                                                                                                                                                       A bullet fired from a gun travels at supersonic speeds. This                                                                                                                           picture shows a bullet and the air flowing around it. The bullet is                                                                                                                   traveling at 1.5 times the speed of sound.

              

What Flies at Supersonic Speeds?

A bullet fired from a gun flies at supersonic speeds. Some military aircraft also fly this fast. The space shuttle flies at supersonic speeds during parts of its mission.

The most famous airplane to fly passengers at supersonic speeds was called the Concorde. The Concorde's fastest speed was more than twice the speed of sound. It could fly people from London, England, to New York in less than 3 1/2 hours. A regular airplane would take twice that long! The Concorde stopped flying in 2003.