The XMEN Clan Forums

Well, it was 105 out at the part of the base I was at this week. One day there was no wind blowing too. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :( --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/frown.gif ALT=":("><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br><br>You see planes take off everyday on the base. But I have a good vantage point for them from where I'm at.<br><br>At least once a day, there is usually a sonic boom. I've always been inside when they happen. And I <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>VERY</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> much want to be outside when I hear one again. They tend to shake even the biggest buildings (ones that can hold entire aircraft... like say big bombers). When I first came out here last October for an interview, I started to drop and take cover because I thought that one of two things had happened when the pressure wave of the shock hit the building: either a bomb had gone off next to the building and we'd soon be scrambling for cover, or there was an earthquake. Yep. The buildings shake so much, that you can mistake it for an earthquake.<br><br><br>I am the only civilian government employee in my office area. There are a few enlisted, a few officers, and about four dozen contractors (boeing/lockheed/etc. folks). Being the only civilian, once the contractors found out who I worked for, they started shaping up. It was hilarious. Their tone and demeanor completely changed from one of "he's one of us", to "oh S##$! get the work out when he's around!". The funny part is that I have no control over their work.<br><br><br>I will be doing pretty much the exact kind of thing that I always wanted to do. Stuff that has to do with how spacecraft engines work. In the lingo of the rocket scientist world, rocket <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>motors</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> are the devices that are like the solid boosters of the space shuttle (one light devices... not throttleable). Rocket <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>engines</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> are the devices that combust fuel and oxidizer (like the turbopump main engines on the shuttle). Engines work as long as you supply them with fuel. Motors work, but they're a one-time deal.<br>Now... I'm not working on spacecraft engines. But the physical processes that occur are very similar.<br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>

A cool picture of a B2 (off the edwards website):<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://home.myuw.net/mcraw/images/b2_bomb_alt.bmp" target="top"><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://home.myuw.net/mcraw/images/b2_bomb_alt.bmp" style="border:0;height:400;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--></a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p090.ezboard.com/bxmenclan.showU ... andtm>XMEN Ashaman DTM</A>&nbsp; <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://theta_mercenaries.homestead.com/files/xmen.gif" BORDER=0> at: 6/6/04 4:06 pm<br></i>

Note the "mist" over the top of the aircraft? That's the part of the airflow over the wing where the airflow is supersonic. Over the rest of the aircraft it's subsonic, so the plane is flying near Mach 1, but not over it. If the plane was going faster than Mach 1, you'd see the "mist" starting at the nose.<br><br>But you'd also only see the mist if the lighting, local temperature, and local humidity were right.<br><br><!--EZCODE EMOTICON START ;) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br> <p></p><i></i>

When I was younger (much younger!) I used to enjoy being awakened at early hours of the morning by the Space Shuttle's double sonic booms as it descended to Edwards to land. Eventually a bunch of asshats decided it was annoying to them so the shuttle's flight path was changed and it no longer flies over the city of LA. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :( --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/frown.gif ALT=":("><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <p><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.camerasupport.com/oV/mavsigr ... <!--EZCODE IMAGE END--></p><i></i>

Don't say any more!! I dont WANT to die!!!!<br><br><!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <p>"Death is not the end."-Ravok</p><i></i>