Heat Barrier (Noun)
Meaning
A limit to high speed flight imposed by aerodynamic heating.
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- Pilots of high-speed aircraft must be aware of the heat barrier to avoid damage to the airframe.
- The X-15 rocket plane was designed to test the limits of human tolerance for the heat barrier.
- Scientists worked to understand the heat barrier as a major challenge to manned flight in the upper atmosphere.
- Aerodynamic analysis showed that the new aircraft design could not safely exceed the heat barrier.
- Breaking through the heat barrier at high altitude was a significant technological achievement for the space program.