A family walks down the pathway toward the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier at Patriots Point, surrounded by American flags and calm waters.
news

Video Thursday 3.3.11 The Sound Barrier

Date

 

Major John Glenn in his F-8 Crusader, ready for Operation Bullet!

Today our videos take a look at supersonic flight, shock waves and the sound barrier (there is no such thing)...Supersonic flight and sonic booms literally grabbed the imagination and attention of the nation back in the 1950's. Major John Glenn, a Marine fighter pilot (and future astronaut) flew his F-8 Crusader across the United States in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds in July 1957 to become the first man do a supersonic transcontinental flight, watch his newsreel below!

 

For a look at more modern supersonic flight and a little lesson on the subject, watch this one...

Lastly on to  space, where there is no sound to fly faster than, but before we get there watch the space shuttle Atlantis achieving Mach 1!