Supersonic
Any speed over the
speed of sound, which is 1,225
km/h at sea level, is said to be
supersonic. Many modern
fighter aircraft are supersonic. The
Concorde was a supersonic passenger aircraft, but, since its final retirement flight on November 26th 2003, there is no supersonic passenger aircraft in service. Speeds greater than 5 times the speed of sound are sometimes referred to as
hypersonic.
Charles Elwood Yeager was the first man to break the sound barrier on October 14 1947, flying the experimental Bell X-1 at Mach 1 at an altitude of 45,000 feet.
Hans Guido Mutke claimed to have broken the sound barrier before Yeager, on April 9 1945 in a Messerschmitt Me 262. However, this claim is disputed by most experts and lacks a scientific foundation.
See also
