The Sonic Rainboom is an aerial manoeuvre performable by a Pegasus pony travelling at significant speed.
The Sonic Rainboom[]
As an object travels through the air, it creates a series of pressure waves in front of and behind it, which travel at the speed of sound. If the object travelling through the air exceeds the speed of these waves, these waves are forced together, creating a powerful shockwave. The creation of this shockwave is accompanied by a substantial release of sound energy, which sounds much like an explosion.
If a pegasus pony breaks the sound barrier, the shock wave that is created is accompanied by a massive circular rainbow, possibly due to some sort of light energy release and rapid condensation forming along the expanding wave. This effect is called a Sonic Rainboom, and few pegasi have been able to produce one.
The expanding wave of a Sonic Rainboom is known to disperse clouds over a substantial area.
Sonic Radboom[]
Using Doctor Freshwater's method of releasing radiation in controlled bursts, Ditzy Doo managed to irradiate and amplify the effects of a Sonic Rainboom during the Enclave assault on New Appleloosa. The expanding rainbow also dispersed clouds, depriving the Enclave airships of their floatation devices, but was colored in chemical and toxic hues instead of the more common spectrum pattern.
Notable Rainboom Events[]
Rainbow Dash's First Rainboom - The First Rainboom performed in the pre-war era. This Rainboom caused Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash herself to realize their talent and potential, revealing their cutie marks.
Second Sonic Rainboom - Performed by Rainbow Dash at the Best Young Fliers tournament, she performed the Rainboom to give herself the extra speed needed to save Rarity and the Wonderbolts.
First Sonic Radboom - Performed by Ditzy Doo, using stored radiation in her body. Ditzy Doo released radiation to give herself an enormous speed boost that allowed her to break the sound barrier and release a discolored, slightly radioactive Rainboom, nicknamed the 'Radboom'.
Notable Rainboom Practitioners []
Rainbow Dash - She was the first pony of the pre-war era to perform the legendary feat, creating the Rainboom during a race as a filly. She performed a second Rainboom, saving the lives of Rarity and the Wonderbolts.
Ditzy Doo - She created the Radboom by releasing stored radiation within herself to give herself several speed bursts, ultimately breaking the sound barrier and clearing the cloud cover over a wide area above New Appleloosa.
The Wonderbolts - The modern day equivalent of the Wonderbolts are capable of creating the Sonic Rainboom. The Enclave's government keeps a close eye and control of individuals who can perform the Rainboom due to how dangerous it is to their vehicles and cloud structures
In Other Stories[]
Mach - Mach was taught how to perform the Rainboom in secret, trained by his father far from the prying eyes of the Enclave council.
Redshift - Mach's doppelgänger is also capable of performing the legendary Rainboom.
The Wraithwing - The Enclave's top assassin is also capable of performing the Sonic Rainboom.