What invention was the first to break the sound barrier?

Bullwhip ?

quote:

Originally posted by dogspit:
Bullwhip ?

Absolutely.This was not understood until the invention of high-speed photography in 1927. This showed that the 'crack' of a whip was a mini sonic boom and not the leather tip hitting some part of the whip itself. The crack is caused by a loop that forms in the whip as you flick it.The loop travels along the length of the whip and, because the leather tapers to a fine tip, the loop speeds up as it travels. It finally reaches over ten times its initial speed. The 'crack' is when the loop breaks the sound barrier at about 1,194 kph.