Faster Than Sound

As an airplane approaches the speed of sound, conditions around it begin to change. The air ahead of it starts to compress. Shock waves form on its wings. Drag increases dramatically. Supersonic flight--flying faster than sound--is a whole new game with a different set of rules.

What Is the "Sound Barrier"?
What Is a Mach Number?
What Is a Shock Wave?
Why Are High-Speed Airplane Wings Shaped As They Are?
How Do Lift and Drag Work at Supersonic Speeds?


(Rev. 09/17/96)