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Aviation Glossary :: Expansion Wave  Aviation Glossary :: Expansion Wave FAA Written Test Preparation
Aviation Glossary Welcome to the Dauntless Aviation Glossary!

At Dauntless, our editorial staff maintains the web's largest unified glossary of aviation terms. This glossary is built from a combination of official, quasi-official, and proprietary sources (including original material that we develop oursselves). Uniquely, we often provide multiple definitions of a given term so that you can find that which best applies to you. In order to maximize your learning efficiency, this glossary (and similar ones for our international users) is incresingly fully integrated into our aviation learning apps, including our FAA written test prep and FAA practical test prep software and apps. If you like this glossary, you'll love them with their polished learning environments and world's best and clearest content (please do give them a try.).

Expansion Wave
Expansion Wave
The change in pressure and velocity of a supersonic flow of air as it passes over a surface which drops away from the flow. As the surface drops away, the air tries to follow it. In changing its direction, the air speeds up to a higher supersonic velocity and its static pressure decreases. There is no change in the total energy as the air passes through an expansion wave, and so there is no sound as there is when air passes through a shock wave.
source: FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Airframe Handbook (FAA-H-8083-31)
The change in pressure and velocity of supersonic air as it passes over a surface that drops away from the flow. As the surface drops away, the air tries to follow it, and in changing its direction, the air speeds up to a higher supersonic speed, and its static pressure decreases. There is no change in the total amount of energy as air passes through an expansion wave.
source: FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Powerplant Handbook (FAA-H-8083-32)

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