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To: Ken522
What is that cloud around the aircraft? Is there a name for that phenomena?

My Vietnam pilot buddy told me it's called 'Breakout'. It's caused by going supersonic. There are many photos of this floating around. Somewhere in my files, I have a video of it happening from the deck of a carrier.

Prandtl-Glauert singularity

18 posted on 11/12/2006 8:01:49 AM PST by Jackknife ( "It's not a real party 'til somebody breaks something.")
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To: Jackknife

Wow, that is so neat!!


59 posted on 11/12/2006 10:50:31 AM PST by Dustbunny (The BIBLE - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)
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To: Jackknife
It's caused by going supersonic.

That is true of the only some of these pictures. I have seen similar photos of a B2 which is definatly sub-sonic. In that case the airflow over the wing experiances a drop in pressure which causes the same vapor to form.


Of course all airplanes experiance this differential pressure across the wing section. Bernouli's therum dictates that this is how a wing generates lift. I expect the the cloud formation (either sub or supper sonic) has more to do with the degree of saturation of the air. The closer the ambient temperature is to the dew point, the more likely that a pressure difference will form vapor.

Regards,
GtG

PS Prandtl-Glauert singularities generly form at the front tip of the fusilage and along the leading edge of the wing.

64 posted on 11/12/2006 1:44:26 PM PST by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
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