oski@Portia.stanford.edu (L. Ravi Narasimhan) (07/05/89)
From: L. Ravi Narasimhan <oski@Portia.stanford.edu> This is a submission for sci.military on the above issue. I have been to airshows at Beale AFB, the SR-71 homebase. A high speed, high altitude pass by the SR-71 is done and sonic booms can indeed be heard as the plane streaks over at 80,000 feet. They are not window rattling nor earth shaking. The booms are similar in magnitude to those made by the fire and smoke bombs which accompany airshow demonstrations of attack aircraft. Usually three claps are heard. The announcers attribute one clap each from the nose, the engines, and the tail section of the plane (if memory serves.) --- Ravi Narasimhan Chemistry Dept. Stanford University oski@portia.stanford.edu