Sonic Booms

[whartung]

Just watched this little Space X landing video.

This really has some "Terran Trade Authority" feel to it.

But one thing that was striking, was the sonic boom this generated. I recall the sonic booms from the Space Shuttle landings, but this must happen much closer to the ground.

In the "starships take off and land with a humm and some blue light" world, I'm guessing the sonic boom would not be a problem. You "simply" slow the ship down high enough to where it doesn't matter.

But think of the contrary, where traders and ships and booming coming and going.

Anyway, something to add some color, perhaps, to your campaign.

 

[Spinward Flow]

But think of the contrary, where traders and ships and booming coming and going.

Yet another good reason for NOT having your hotel district right next to the starport.

 

[Condottiere]

Soundproof your home, with acoustic panels, and let's say bullet proof glass.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Yet another good reason for NOT having your hotel district right next to the starport.

Or, indeed, having your starport near anything.

 

[Rigel Stardin]

Welcome to Rigel's TED talk.

Consider this my fellow Spacers: The use of Gravatronic Assisted Thrusters (GAT) would eliminate those nasty little relics from the Early Interstellar Period.

How you say? Well, you wouldn't need to do a deorbit burn like they did back then. GATs would slowly 'lower' you into at a slower speeds below Mach One. You may have to start your deorbital flight half way around the planet and it would take longer than the manual stated. It would also reduce the effects of atmosphere friction on the hull. (Muttering in the background.)

I forgot some of your ships don't come with GAT. Money, technolgical contrainsts and design choices yada, yada. Planetary Traffic Control designated an area, say over an ocean were not people live, to do the reentry. Once you're under Mach speeds, you turn on the drives and fly to the Starport without breaking some poor mud puppies windows and ear drums.

Thank you all for coming.

 

[Vargr Breath]

When I was a kid, they used to post in the newspaper when the B-58 Hustlers would be flying over the area. We used to go out on the lawn and watch the contrails heading our way with a glint of light from their fuselages. They would go over, and the ground would shake, and the house windows would rattle. Great Times they called the sonic booms the "Sound of Freedom" .

 

[Rigel Stardin]

@ Vargr Breath: During a military exercise, my unit got buzzed by I believe it was a West German F-105 at about 200 feet (no higher than 450) at high speed. That's when I realized how superior air power was. Be young and dumb It was amazing sight, 40+ years later I should have shat my uniform.

Watch and A-10 do a target run on burned out military vehicles at Fort Polk. They scare me

 

[whartung]

Driving down a dirt road heading to the highway with my Mom and brother, a fighter jet did something akin to that to me. This wasn't during a military exercise. I was so taken, I struggled to keep the car straight and stopped.

After extolling my frustration, I got the car moving and continued along.

Then his wing man flew by.

We called the Sheriff.

 

[Rigel Stardin]

Fighter pilots are notorious for that. It's in their blood.
But has gone horrible wrong as well.

 

[Vargr Breath]

In Terre Haute, Ind. F-4 Phantom II would take off right over I-70. It would scare the crap out of you when driving down the highway.

 

[HanleyTucks]

Or, indeed, having your starport near anything.

Certainly with anything vaguely resembling a realistic drive. The Rocinante in full thrust would be 96.8TW - which is basically equivalent to a 23kT nuclear bomb going off every second. Space traffic control would need welder's masks

 

[Grav_Moped]

Certainly with anything vaguely resembling a realistic drive. The Rocinante in full thrust would be 96.8TW - which is basically equivalent to a 23kT nuclear bomb going off every second. Space traffic control would need welder's masks

And they used to be that (strongly implied in LBB2 '77, explicit in HG '79, retconned to grav drives in HG '80).

 

[Rigel Stardin]

Speaking of Nuclear Propulsion:

Realistic Designs N-Q - Atomic Rockets

www.projectrho.com

Try to land this ship at your local starport.

It would be a Blast!

 

[Grav_Moped]

Speaking of Nuclear Propulsion:

Realistic Designs N-Q - Atomic Rockets

www.projectrho.com

Try to land this ship at your local starport.

It would be a Blast!

T5 has construction rules for them.

 

[Captain_Ahab]

Myasishchev M-25: Soviet plane that would kill with sound - AeroTime

Most combat aircraft fall into one of several conventional categories: fighter, bomber, ground attack airplane. The M-25, or “Theme 25”, designed by the Soviet Myasishchev Aircraft Construction Bureau between 1969 and 1972, did not. It was an attack aircraft designed to employ a completely new...

www.aerotime.aero

 

[Grav_Moped]

Myasishchev M-25: Soviet plane that would kill with sound - AeroTime

Most combat aircraft fall into one of several conventional categories: fighter, bomber, ground attack airplane. The M-25, or “Theme 25”, designed by the Soviet Myasishchev Aircraft Construction Bureau between 1969 and 1972, did not. It was an attack aircraft designed to employ a completely new...

www.aerotime.aero

Wouldn't kill, but it'd make you sick and/or knock you down: Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech (Wikipedia)

The XF-84H was almost certainly the loudest aircraft ever built, earning the nickname "Thunderscreech" as well as the "Mighty Ear Banger".[16] On the ground "run ups", the prototypes could reportedly be heard 25 miles (40 km) away.[17] Unlike standard propellers that turn at subsonic speeds, the outer 24–30 inches (61–76 cm) of the blades on the XF-84H's propeller traveled faster than the speed of sound even at idle thrust, producing a continuous visible sonic boom that radiated laterally from the propellers for hundreds of yards. The shock wave was actually powerful enough to knock a man down; an unfortunate crew chief who was inside a nearby C-47 was severely incapacitated during a 30-minute ground run.[17] Coupled with the already considerable noise from the subsonic aspect of the propeller and the T40's dual turbine sections, the aircraft was notorious for inducing severe nausea and headaches among ground crews.[11] In one report, a Republic engineer suffered a seizure after close range exposure to the shock waves emanating from a powered-up XF-84H.[18]

The pervasive noise also severely disrupted operations in the Edwards AFB control tower by risking vibration damage to sensitive components and forcing air traffic personnel to communicate with the XF-84H's crew on the flight line by light signals. After numerous complaints, the Air Force Flight Test Center directed Republic to tow the aircraft out on Rogers Dry Lake, far from the flight line, before running up its engine.[14]

 

[BlackBat242]

@ Vargr Breath: During a military exercise, my unit got buzzed by I believe it was a West German F-105 at about 200 feet (no higher than 450) at high speed. That's when I realized how superior air power was. Be young and dumb It was amazing sight, 40+ years later I should have shat my uniform.

Watch and A-10 do a target run on burned out military vehicles at Fort Polk. They scare me

F-104.

No F-105 ever served anywhere other than the USAF.

 

[Rigel Stardin]

@BlackBat242 Sorry, it was the F-104G Starfighter. Had to look it up. Memory is faded after 40+ year. And even then, all I can remember is it was very narrow and pointy. It was also still in service during my deployment (80-83)

 

[BlackBat242]

Yes... the "missile with a man in it". I never saw one outside a museum.

But I did see F-105s flying around northern Utah in the late 1970s (the last F-105 squadrons were stationed at Hill AFB)... and even had a pair fly past a couple of hundred feet to the side of, and ~fifty feet below, myself, my brothers, & our Father as we were rock-hunting in the northern part of the Silver Island Mountains of northwestern Utah.

Close enough that I could see the pilot of the closer one turn his head to look at us as they passed.

 

[Spinward Flow]

the F-104G Starfighter.

Yes... the "missile with a man in it."