Part 2/5:
To address this issue, researchers have developed innovative aircraft configurations aimed at reducing the intensity and ground impact of sonic booms. One approach involves strategically positioning the shock waves on the aircraft in such a way that the largest shock waves are directed upward, away from populated areas. This technique ensures that the sonic boom experienced on the ground is substantially less intense.
The goal is to concentrate the shock waves on the top of the aircraft, so the sonic boom, known as a sonic boom, remains primarily above the ground, and a much softer "sonic thud" is heard below. This sonic thud would be faint—comparable in volume to a car door closing across a street—making it barely perceptible and significantly reducing community annoyance.