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EDIT: 5/26/2019 Nevermind, it's a fake. Found out, in here, several days ago. Thanks, blk02edge, for setting straight on that. It fooled me!
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I don't usually post links to fb, but this is a cool one of our favorite plane, caught in an unusual moment: trans-sonic. I posted the link becaus ethis is not my picture, and I wanted ot make sure the owner of the pic gets credit for it.
In this pic, the Blackbird is at the point where it is about to hit Mach 1, but not quite. It's unusual for the Blackbird, this is the only picture I know of that shows it, because usually the old girl accelerated so fast that "trans-sonic" was just a blip in the flight plan.
In addition, they're pulling some g's, and that makes the vapor trails pop up. The Blackbird was not a fighter, she couldn't pull much more than 3g's. But think of it like this: you weigh 200 pounds? At 3g's you weigh 600 pounds. The airplane weighs 200,000 pounds, at 3g's that is 600,000 pounds on the wings!
Two things of particular note: the vapor trail at the nose of the aircraft, and the lack of vapor trails at the tips of the inlet spikes. How can it be? The vapor trails indicate low pressure areas, that's what makes the water condense. You don't see them at the tips of the spikes because they are already starting to do their job: shove the shockwave into the inlets! No low pressure anywhere in that area!
EDIT: 5/26/2019 Nevermind, it's a fake. Found out, in here, several days ago. Thanks, blk02edge, for setting straight on that. It fooled me!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't usually post links to fb, but this is a cool one of our favorite plane, caught in an unusual moment: trans-sonic. I posted the link becaus ethis is not my picture, and I wanted ot make sure the owner of the pic gets credit for it.
In this pic, the Blackbird is at the point where it is about to hit Mach 1, but not quite. It's unusual for the Blackbird, this is the only picture I know of that shows it, because usually the old girl accelerated so fast that "trans-sonic" was just a blip in the flight plan.
In addition, they're pulling some g's, and that makes the vapor trails pop up. The Blackbird was not a fighter, she couldn't pull much more than 3g's. But think of it like this: you weigh 200 pounds? At 3g's you weigh 600 pounds. The airplane weighs 200,000 pounds, at 3g's that is 600,000 pounds on the wings!
Two things of particular note: the vapor trail at the nose of the aircraft, and the lack of vapor trails at the tips of the inlet spikes. How can it be? The vapor trails indicate low pressure areas, that's what makes the water condense. You don't see them at the tips of the spikes because they are already starting to do their job: shove the shockwave into the inlets! No low pressure anywhere in that area!
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