Can you hear a supersonic aircraft?

[Catso]

Would you hear a supersonic aircraft approaching you?

So, if you were trying to shoot it down, it would be here and gone before you even knew about it?

I think I know the theoretical answer to this one, but theory & practice don't always match up perfectly. So has anyone any practical experience of this?

[Clanad]

Sure... (your theoretical answer is probably justified)... since the speed of the aircraft exceeds the speed of the sound it produces, it will arrive before the sound. When the plane is travelling faster than the speed of sound it is actually 'outrunning' the sound wavefronts it produces...

[sddsddean]

During WW2, you could run for cover from a V1, as you could hear the 'buzz' of the ramjet and more importantly, hear it stop, 'cos thats when it came down to earth (BANG!). The V2 rockets were supersonic though, so usually the first you knew about them was when they exploded, as the initial noise they made sounded farther away (if you see what I mean).

[halfadaily]

There was a documentary on tv some time ago which featured film of a V2 rocket exploding in London. The film showed a loud explosion followed a couple of seconds later by the whoosh from the descending rocket. Very eiree!

[boobesque]

if you were going to shoot it down you may not hear it but you could see it just fine.