04-01-2008, 05:09 AM
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#23 (permalink)
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Banished
Military Professional
Join Date: 09-15-06
Location: Penzance, Cornwall UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gunnut
I did...sort of. The 8 propellers on the 4 turbine engines are so big and spin so fast, their tips break the sound barrier to generate mini sonic booms. Or so I've heard. Most Bear crewmen suffer from hearing damage. Is that true?
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Truthful answer is; I don't know, but I tend to doubt it as if the tips of the props were supersonic there would be a great loss in propulsive efficiency due to the shock waves (and thus turbulence) generated. This could also cause sonic fatigue on the rest of the airframe. |
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