Eli5: Is there a variation in physics/speed when a plane breaks the sound barrier and what does it feel/sound like in the cockpit?

Question

Are there any variations or notable sensations when you break the sound barrier in a plane?

In: 49

Answer 1

I don’t know about what it feels like on the inside, but the drag the plane experiences does change. Drag is usually proportional to velocity at low speeds, proportional to velocity^2 at high speeds, becomes exponential near the sound barrier, and then drops off after you’ve broken it.

It also becomes much harder to dissipate heat when you’ve broken the sound barrier because you actually have less of your surface area contacting the air and you actually create a small vacuum bubble behind you