sound barrier
Mach one limit
The sound barrier is the point at which an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, roughly 767 miles per hour at sea level.
As planes near this threshold, air resistance increases dramatically, creating turbulence that early aviators feared would prevent supersonic flight.
Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947.
Figuratively, breaking a sound barrier means surpassing any major threshold: She broke the sound barrier for women in motorsports.
Coming apart suddenly
- milestoneNotable event marking progress
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- achievementAccomplished goal or deed
- featRemarkable act of skill
first · historic · record · Chuck Yeager · 1947 · triumph · daring · test flight
Sonic speed ratio
- jetForced fluid stream
- fighterOne who engages in combat
- pilotOne who steers aircraft
- airspeedAircraft's atmospheric velocity
thrust · aircraft · cockpit · afterburner · turbojet · ramjet · scramjet · hypersonic
Propagating pressure disturbance
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- Mach numberRatio to sonic velocity
- fluid dynamicsScience of flowing matter
- pressure gradientSpatial variation in force
turbulence · aerodynamics · drag · boundary layer · compressibility · buffeting
Loud deep sound
- thunderclapExplosive atmospheric sound
- crackNarrow break or attempt
- roarLoud, deep animal cry
- rumbleLow rolling sound
blast · shockwave · reverberation · echo · decibel · loudness · intensity · acoustics
Point of beginning
- boundaryLine marking a limit
- limitMaximum allowed extent
- ceilingRoom's upper surface
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
constraint · frontier · edge · breakthrough · insurmountable · unbreakable · pushing limits
breaking
Coming apart suddenly
- milestoneNotable event marking progress
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- achievementAccomplished goal or deed
feat · first · historic · record · Chuck Yeager · 1947 · triumph · daring · test flight · impossible
Mach
Sonic speed ratio
airspeed · thrust · aircraft · cockpit · afterburner · turbojet · ramjet · scramjet · hypersonic · velocity
shockwave
Propagating pressure disturbance
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- Mach numberRatio to sonic velocity
- fluid dynamicsScience of flowing matter
pressure gradient · turbulence · aerodynamics · drag · boundary layer · compressibility · buffeting
boom
Loud deep sound
- thunderclapExplosive atmospheric sound
- crackNarrow break or attempt
- roarLoud, deep animal cry
rumble · blast · shockwave · reverberation · echo · decibel · loudness · intensity · acoustics · vibration
threshold
Point of beginning
obstacle · constraint · frontier · edge · breakthrough · insurmountable · unbreakable · pushing limits
- Physical Limitsspeed of light, absolute zero, light speed, escape velocity, terminal velocity
- SupersonicsMach number, shock wave, Mach 1, Mach 2, hypersonic
- soundechoes, acoustics, vibrations, audio, volume
- speedspeed, quickness, rate, velocity, pace
- aerospaceairplane, helicopter, rocket, rockets, spacecraft
- aviationaircraft, airports, flying, flight, airplane
sound barriercruising speed
Sustained efficient velocity
stall speed · ground speed · walking pace · terminal velocity
sound barrieropen sky
Unobstructed atmosphere above
clear path · breakthrough · free flight · smooth sailing · laminar flow
sound, barrier, sounds, soundly, barricade, sounding, sounded, consonant, resound