cgull
New member
Last Friday I was in mid channel and heard what I thought was a loud explosion nearby. Time was about 10.45 bst.
Could this have been Concordes sonic boom?
Could this have been Concordes sonic boom?
Sonic Boom?
- Thread starter cgull
- Start date
ToMo
New member
Nah it was hlb trying to unblock his toilet!
robp
Active member
Yes almost certainly. Do they still do trips out of Bournmouth? First time I heard it, I thought we were being used as target practice by a warship!
G
Guest
Guest
Normally two booms like a locker lid bouncing as it slams shut...
M
mikenda - delete
Guest
It is the French Concord . We hear it every day 20 miles inland nr Salisbury at the same time.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Yes, it comes up the Seine valley to the channel, puts foot down and hangs a left to go mid channel and miss the Contentin peninsula. On a clear day you can see its con trail, and identify it with the bins.
rich
Well-known member
The first time I heard what I now realize was Concorde, I was in mid-channel on a 36ft stink-boat. When we heard the double bang it sounded as if the engines had blown themselves out the arse-end. Immediatetely shut down the engines, but un-noticed by me, one of the engines stalled and consequently the temp guage shot up to the red, so in diving down below, throwing all the furniture, fittings and carpet into the cock-pit in our panic to get to the engine compartment, and lifting up all the floors, with fire extinguishers in hands, we were a bit bemused to find, no smoke, no fire, and nothing obviously wrong.
After a lot of head-scratching by myself and the crew we put everything back in place undamaged, started everything up again, and everything was fine, and it wasn't until half an hour later we realized what the noise had been.
rich
)
After a lot of head-scratching by myself and the crew we put everything back in place undamaged, started everything up again, and everything was fine, and it wasn't until half an hour later we realized what the noise had been.
rich
)
vyv_cox
Well-known member
We became quite used to hearing the British Concorde over West Wales as it went supersonic after clearing the coast. One time we heard only a single bang and discussed possible reasons for this for a short time. On entering Milford Haven we discovered that the bang was in fact a column at one of the refineries that had been struck by lightning the night before, burnt all night and then exploded.
alex_rogers
New member
I was told that one of the first signs that you are approaching land from a west-to-east Atlantic crossing is the sound of Concorde breaking the sound barrier as it heads to New York. Unfortunately, Concorde was grounded whilst I did the crossing so I never found out whether this was true or not.
tome
New member
First time I heard it was Solent to Cherbourg as we were passing close astern a Russian freighter. Scared the wits out of us, we were convinced they had opened fire and shook our fists at them.
Same thing happened on the way back, we all leapt on deck but no freighter. Then the penny dropped...
Apologies to the bemused crew of the freighter.
Same thing happened on the way back, we all leapt on deck but no freighter. Then the penny dropped...
Apologies to the bemused crew of the freighter.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
I always understood (allthough I'm quite possibly wrong) that the sonic boom is not just heard when the sound barrier is broken, but all the time the aircraft is supersonic.
If that's the case, then presumably Concorde drags a ba-boom footprint across the Atlantic several times a day. Vessels close enough to its flight path should hear it whether close to land or not.
Or am I wrong?
If that's the case, then presumably Concorde drags a ba-boom footprint across the Atlantic several times a day. Vessels close enough to its flight path should hear it whether close to land or not.
Or am I wrong?
jimi
Well-known member
I understand it just to be when the aircaft actually goes supersonic. I regularly used to hear the distinctive BOOM BOOM when climbiing at Swanage. My climbing partner worked for BAE and explained what it was and how it happened.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
As I remember the physics, its all the time that a body is supersonic, because it is creating a pressure wave in front of itself which it then overtakes (ina continuous process). This causes an overpressure which is what we hear.
You can appreciate the effect if you've ever been in the butts on a rifle range. Rifle bullets are supersonic and produce a distinct 'crack' as they pass overhead, separate from the sound of the weapon which you hear a second or two later.
You can appreciate the effect if you've ever been in the butts on a rifle range. Rifle bullets are supersonic and produce a distinct 'crack' as they pass overhead, separate from the sound of the weapon which you hear a second or two later.
jimi
Well-known member
You're absolutely right I've been reading about it on
http://airforce.dtic.mil/news/factsheets/Sonic_Boom.html
it would appear though that there are two types
N type from steady flight and U from change.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by jimi on Fri Jun 14 17:42:50 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>
http://airforce.dtic.mil/news/factsheets/Sonic_Boom.html
it would appear though that there are two types
N type from steady flight and U from change.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by jimi on Fri Jun 14 17:42:50 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
>You're absolutely right<
Makes a change!
Makes a change!
tome
New member
It's all the time Concorde is supersonic, and the reason for the double boom is one from the leading and one from the trailing edge.
A mate who's a BA 747 captain told me that whilst the aircraft flies close to its cruising speed limit, the cockpit gets very noisy because the airflow over the raised bump of the cockpit gets very close to the speed of sound.
A mate who's a BA 747 captain told me that whilst the aircraft flies close to its cruising speed limit, the cockpit gets very noisy because the airflow over the raised bump of the cockpit gets very close to the speed of sound.
Rob_Webb
Active member
Re: Sonic Boom - Position Fixing!
Yes, it would have been Concorde as she turned left over the channel en route Paris-NY, and accelerated above mach 1. It's the right time too. For the record, when supersonic, the shock wave is very similar to that created by a boat moving through the water i.e. it creates a continuous bow wave and stern wave all the time is flies above mach 1 - hence the double-boom exactly like encountering the bow and stern wave of a vessel passing you by at sea. Also like meeting a ship at sea, the exact sound that you experience will vary according to your distance fromt the vessel, the angle at which you hit the wake, the speed it is travelling etc.
My father (now retired) was the supersonic aerodynamicist for Concorde during it's design and early trails so I'm well familiar with the world's observations on supersonic flights and the rights and wrongs of the sonice boom - essentially, it has long been resticted to flying over the ocean for this route and whilst sailing between Cherbourg-Solent you can find yourself under a thumping great double bang on the right day. The sound of the sonic boom varies with weather - a cloudy, wet day will dampen the sound to a thunder-like rumble, whilst a clear blue, warm, dry day with the bird directly in sight can produce a sharp crack, rather like a battleship loosing off some heavy rounds at you - quite alarming until you realise what's happened!
I have often joked to novice sailors on my boat that one can use the Concorde timetable in conjunction with a stopwatch and a sextant to confirm your position as she passes overhead - got to be quick though!
Rob
Yes, it would have been Concorde as she turned left over the channel en route Paris-NY, and accelerated above mach 1. It's the right time too. For the record, when supersonic, the shock wave is very similar to that created by a boat moving through the water i.e. it creates a continuous bow wave and stern wave all the time is flies above mach 1 - hence the double-boom exactly like encountering the bow and stern wave of a vessel passing you by at sea. Also like meeting a ship at sea, the exact sound that you experience will vary according to your distance fromt the vessel, the angle at which you hit the wake, the speed it is travelling etc.
My father (now retired) was the supersonic aerodynamicist for Concorde during it's design and early trails so I'm well familiar with the world's observations on supersonic flights and the rights and wrongs of the sonice boom - essentially, it has long been resticted to flying over the ocean for this route and whilst sailing between Cherbourg-Solent you can find yourself under a thumping great double bang on the right day. The sound of the sonic boom varies with weather - a cloudy, wet day will dampen the sound to a thunder-like rumble, whilst a clear blue, warm, dry day with the bird directly in sight can produce a sharp crack, rather like a battleship loosing off some heavy rounds at you - quite alarming until you realise what's happened!
I have often joked to novice sailors on my boat that one can use the Concorde timetable in conjunction with a stopwatch and a sextant to confirm your position as she passes overhead - got to be quick though!
Rob
