The sound barrier was first broken on Oct. 14, 1947, according to the U.S. Air Force. That's when Capt. Chuck Yeager and the Bell X-1 rocket-propelled aircraft broke the sound barrier.

Consequently, while the speed of sound is frequently given as 343 m/s (772 mph, or 1,242 kmph), representing room temperature, airplanes can often break Mach 1 at less than 300 m/s.

Transonic describes aircraft that are traveling at the speed of sound, usually within a range of between Mach 0.8 and 1.2. Meanwhile, supersonic flight is any flight that is faster than Mach 1.

Last week’s flight took place at Mojave Air and Space Port (KMHV) in California—where the Bell X-1 broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947—and reached Mach 0.82, or about 499 ...

Boom Supersonic's XB-1 made history on Tuesday by becoming the first civil aircraft to break the sound barrier. Why It Matters Before Tuesday, no civil private manufacturer had passed the sound ...

Breaking the sound barrier creates a shock wave known as a “sonic boom.” This occurs when an aircraft moves faster than the speed of sound, resulting in a sudden release of pressure waves. 2.

The legendary aviator, who died Dec. 7, served as a fighter pilot in World War II. Later, as a test pilot, he was the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. Originally broadcast in 1988.

Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator jet became the first U.S.-made civilian supersonic jet to break the sound barrier. The independently funded XB-1 reached a speed of Mach 1.122, or about 750 mph ...