
Taken on Jul. 21, 2012, by Russell Hill, the following picture shows a variable-sweep wing B-1 strategic bomber serialled 85-0073 “Dark Knight”, belonging to the 7th Bomb Wing, 13th Bomb Squadron, based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, during a fast flyby at the McChord Air Expo, McChord AFB, Washington.
Due to the high speed, the fast pass generated a huge condensation cloud around the Bone’s upper wing and fuselage surfaces. This type of cloud is the effect of a sudden decrease of pressure in the airflow around the aircraft in moisty weather conditions.
Image credit: Russell Hill
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Great shot – is there any others posted elsewhere?
I’ve always been confused by this. I learned in a basic thermodynamics course that increasing pressure compresses vapor into a liquid and decreasing pressure expands liquid into a gas. Wouldn’t the condensation cloud be due to a sudden spike in pressure?
The same effect on Russian Su-30 http://spotavia.blogspot.com/2012/02/su-30-30.html
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g11EIqY0xiE/UGxvfQHOV6I/AAAAAAAAAlU/35KMSqwgxuA/s1600/115.jpeg
Nice shots, Ruidano. Are these shots of the SU-30’s currently being inducted?
Moisty?