Between 1976, when Concorde began flights to the United States ... This results in a shock wave of pressurized air molecules, which form a cone-shaped sheath around and behind the plane.

Boom's XB-1 jet breaks the sound barrier, bringing supersonic passenger travel closer to reality. Find out more about this groundbreaking achievement.

This produces the vapour cone seen in the picture, in addition to the condensation just behind the cockpit. This is a photograph from the US Department of Defense, July 1999. Thanks for their ...