Suppose you had a classic world war two aircraft. It somehow managed to break the sound barrier regardless of?
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the drag it’s geometry created. What would happen to it? Would the aircraft survive at the speed of sound or would it’s wings shatter, or something around those lines.
There were many claims during and after WWII about aircraft breaking the sound barrier. The P-47 Thunderbolt, Me-262 twin-jet (first operational jet fighter), and Me-163 Komet (German rocket-powered fighter aircraft) have claimed them at some time. However, it would not have been possible, and have been debunked since aerodynamically, these aircraft could not have been controllable beyond .85 Mach. Uncontrollability would have spelled disaster and at those speed, it would not be possible to bail out…and a bail out would be necessary since structural failure is definitely in the offing! No WWII aircraft had enough power or a streamlined enough body or airframe to break the sound barrier. Structural failure…and the flotsam and jetsam streaming down to earth would be the end-result. Even the later F-86 Sabre jet with a comparatively greater power than the WW2 aircraft mentioned above, and with a swept-back wing couldn’t go supersonic — even on a steep dive.
Just to digress a bit….as of 2010, the Me 163 Komet emains the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft to have ever been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the plane was capable of performance unrivalled at the time. Messerschmitt test pilot Rudy Opitz in 1944 reached 1,123 km/h (698 mph).
With over 300 aircraft built, it wasn’t an effective fighter aircraft, since it managed only to destroy nine allied aircraft. Its fuel system was particularly troublesome, as leaks experienced during hard landings easily caused fires and explosions.
June 28th, 2010
I doubt its structure would survive very long. Wings would probably tear off.
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June 28th, 2010
a few of the p51 s did it in ww2 and they survived/cant maintain it /all out dive did it/they were pretty rugged aircraft
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June 28th, 2010
The structure of such a plane would probably not survive that, if not specifically designed for it. Propellers are not efficient at these speeds, and the only possibility of breaking the sound barrier would be a steed dive, which might not be survivable. The sound barrier wasn’t broken till after WWII by Chuck Yeager in the Bell X-1. Claims made before that are unverified and extremely suspect. The measuring equipment on propeller driven aircraft of the time was not accurate at trans-sonic speeds, for one thing.
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June 28th, 2010
There were many claims during and after WWII about aircraft breaking the sound barrier. The P-47 Thunderbolt, Me-262 twin-jet (first operational jet fighter), and Me-163 Komet (German rocket-powered fighter aircraft) have claimed them at some time. However, it would not have been possible, and have been debunked since aerodynamically, these aircraft could not have been controllable beyond .85 Mach. Uncontrollability would have spelled disaster and at those speed, it would not be possible to bail out…and a bail out would be necessary since structural failure is definitely in the offing! No WWII aircraft had enough power or a streamlined enough body or airframe to break the sound barrier. Structural failure…and the flotsam and jetsam streaming down to earth would be the end-result. Even the later F-86 Sabre jet with a comparatively greater power than the WW2 aircraft mentioned above, and with a swept-back wing couldn’t go supersonic — even on a steep dive.
Just to digress a bit….as of 2010, the Me 163 Komet emains the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft to have ever been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the plane was capable of performance unrivalled at the time. Messerschmitt test pilot Rudy Opitz in 1944 reached 1,123 km/h (698 mph).
With over 300 aircraft built, it wasn’t an effective fighter aircraft, since it managed only to destroy nine allied aircraft. Its fuel system was particularly troublesome, as leaks experienced during hard landings easily caused fires and explosions.
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BS in Aeronautical Eng.
June 28th, 2010
It would brak. The wings would cum rite off and the tail would fall off. The glass would shatter and the pilot woud die.
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June 28th, 2010
Several WWII aircraft reached trans-sonic speeds in a dive, including the P-38. No, the aircraft wouldn’t have suddenly disintegrated had they "broken" the sound barrier, but control-flutter, controllability, and other issues would have created some serious difficulties potentially leading to in-flight break-up, or at least a bail-out.
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June 28th, 2010
Then it would be in pieces.
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