NOVA: The obstacles to breaking the sound barrier were the aircraft design ... This was so because models in a wind tunnel would be exposed to air flow that would generate shock waves.

The photograph visualizes the flow of air around the XB-1 as it flew faster than the speed of sound, allowing the public to see an aircraft break the sound barrier. The image captured by NASA ...

“XB-1 broke the sound barrier three times during its ... "As light rays flow around an aircraft, the change in air density caused by the airflow bends the light, making the edge of the Sun ...