On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 00:51:26 GMT, "The Enlightenment"
wrote:

Mach 3.6 which were reached in actual operations when outrunning a SAM.

Nope. 3.5 dash on a flight test. No SAM ever got that close.

Speed was limited by the shock wave cone moving back and impinging on the
engine inlets not engine power or thermal limitations.

Not so. Above Mach 3.5 you get shock impingement on the leading edge
of the wing, which is why you can only do it in a dash. And you'll
exceed the CIT limit, which is, usually, reached at Mach 3.23.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer