Schlieren photography was to capture and visualize the shock waves created by XB-1's supersonic flight.
NASA/Boom Supersonic
An XB-1 aircraft’s shock waves created during a supersonic flight have been captured using specialized ground-based photography.
January saw XB-1 make history as the first privately developed civil supersonic aircraft to break the sound barrier in the United States.
On February 10th, it achieved another successful supersonic flight.
US company Boom Supersonic collaborated with NASA on the second flight to obtain specialized photographs of the supersonic test.
A ground-based NASA team used Schlieren photography to capture and visualize the shock waves created by XB-1’s supersonic flight.
NASA also gathered acoustic data from XB-1’s flight. Interestingly, the analysis showed that no sonic boom was audible on the ground during the supersonic flight.
“This image makes the invisible visible—the first American-made civil supersonic jet breaking the sound barrier. Thanks to Geppetto’s [pilot] exceptional flying and our partnership with NASA, we were able to capture this iconic image,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic.
“We also confirmed that XB-1 made no audible sonic boom, which paves the way for coast-to-coast flights up to 50% faster,” Scholl added.
Perfect timing and position required
Capturing the Schlieren images was a challenging feat, requiring perfect conditions, precise timing, and expert piloting.
If successful, this technique reveals the invisible — the change in air density around the aircraft at supersonic speeds.
Boom’s Chief Test Pilot, Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, skillfully maneuvered XB-1 to a specific point over the Mojave Desert. This allowed NASA to photograph the shock waves as the jet flew in front of the sun at supersonic speeds.
Pennsylvania State University Acoustical Model of Mach cutoff Flight.
NASA provided precisely calculated waypoints, which the XB-1 team then used to develop specialized avionics software. The software served as a navigational tool, guiding the pilot to the exact spatial coordinates required for XB-1 to eclipse the sun.
Simultaneously, NASA deployed ground-based telescopes equipped with specialized filters. These filters were designed to detect subtle air distortions or shock waves generated by the supersonic aircraft.
As a result, they were able to obtain unique Schlieren photographs, which visually recorded the air density variations surrounding XB-1 as it flew at speeds exceeding Mach 1.
No sonic boom audible on ground
Furthermore, Boom Supersonic gathered sonic boom data using strategically placed microphones and sound recording devices along XB-1’s flight path.
The analysis showed that supersonic flight without a ground-level sonic boom is achievable. The findings support prior NASA research aimed at enabling commercial supersonic travel.
Boom Supersonic plans to incorporate “Boomless Cruise” technology — based on data from XB-1′s test flights — into its Overture airliner. Overture is expected to be the “world’s fastest airliner” being developed by Boom Supersonic.
Supersonic flight offers several potential benefits, primarily centered around significantly reduced travel times.
The company states that this feature will allow Overture to fly at Mach 1.3 without a sonic boom. It could potentially cut U.S. coast-to-coast flight times by up to 90 minutes.
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“Boom will now focus its full efforts on scaling XB-1 learnings and technology to build the Overture supersonic airliner, which already has 130 orders and pre-orders from United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines,” the press release noted.
Boom’s Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, is expected to produce 66 Overture aircraft annually.
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Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
