As of right now, the only way I have of getting the picture
into digital format would be to go to Target (or something).
I could do it this weekend and then forward ASAP, then again,
maybe a reader is local who could scan ;-)
As far as determining if the plane actually broke the sound
barrier, all I can say is that slightly after hearing the "click"
of the camera I heard this "boom" and the reverberations. Was the
pilot still active on Monday? I don't know.
Tom
>Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 20:56:48 -0500
>From: "Gary Edwards" <garyetx@xxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: [OM] OT Low Flying, was an OM weekend
>
>- ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Thomas A Simmons" <tasimmons@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 12:05 PM
>Subject: Re: [OM] OT Low Flying, was an OM weekend
>
>
>> Well, a F14 was approaching for a high speed pass. Got my trusty OM-1
>> with the 400 MM ready to follow it as it crossed in front of me when I
>> noticed
>> a bit of condensation on it's nose. I have this picture of that bird
>> popping through
>> the sound barrier just as it crossed over RT15 at about 500 feet. I'll
bet
>> that the
>
>Tom, we'd love to see the shot.
>
>One note. Nearly all of the photos you see of supersonic airplanes with
>various clouds of condensing vapor surrounding them have captions claiming
>to record the instant of "breaking the sound barrier!" They aren't. They
>record the condensation of atmospheric water vapor as the local pressure
is
>reduced by the accelerating flow around the airplane. This flow can
become
>locally supersonic, though the airplane isn't. As the pressure drops, the
>air temperature drops below the dew point and vapor condenses. The cloud
>often terminates at a disk-shaped boundary near the middle of the
airplane.
>This is the transonic configuration shock - the boundary where the locally
>supersonic flow shocks back down to subsonic speed. The instantaneous
>increase in pressure across that normal shock raises the temperature above
>the dew point and the visible water once again becomes invisible vapor.
All
>of this happens at aircraft speeds typically 5 to 10 or even 150wer
than
>the speed of sound. In really humid conditions, you can often see that
cloud
>around airliners even at approach speeds. When the aircraft reaches Mach
1,
>the configuration shock has moved far aft and a new shock forms at the
nose
>tip. I have yet to see one of these pictures with the distinctive
signature
>of fully developed supersonic flow. If that Tomcat had really been
>supersonic, I assure you, at that proximity the sonic boom would have been
>an event you would never forget. And, as Chris Barker can tell you,
>exceeding Mach 1 low and with witnesses is a good way for that pilot to
>newer have that opportunity again.
>
>Gary Edwards
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