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The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird holds the official Air Speed Record for a crewed airbreathing jet engine aircraft with a speed of 3,530 km/h (2,190 mph). The record was set on 28 July 1976 by Eldon W. Joersz and George T. Morgan Jr. near Beale Air Force Base, California, USA.
- HTV-2 Falcon. The baseline flight test trajectories. Airspeed: 17.2 Mach or 13,201 mph. The Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) Falcon is an experimental hypersonic glide vehicle developed by DARPA.
- NASA X-43. Artist’s concept of NASA X-43A | Image Courtesy: NASA. Recorded Top Speed: Mach 9.6. While the X-15, at Mach 6.7, remains the fastest crewed aircraft to date, the bar is set much higher when it comes to unmanned flights.
- North American X-15. An X-15 in flight | Image Courtesy: NASA. Initial Flight: 8 June 1959. Recorded Top Speed: 7,274 km/h or 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) On 3 October 1967, William “Pete” Knight, a US astronaut and test pilot, shocked the world after flying at a staggering speed of 7,374 kilometers per hour, reaching close to Mach 7.
- Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” An overhead front view of SR-71 “Blackbird” | Image Courtesy: U.S Air Force. Initial Flight: 22 December 1964. Recorded Top Speed: 3,529.5 km/h.
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- Staff Writer
- Eurofighter Typhoon. The Eurofighter Typhoon is true to its name and was built as a joint effort between European countries during the height of the Cold War in order to defend against the Soviet Union.
- Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Though not widely discussed, there was some aerial combat during the Vietnam War. Russian MiGs were used by Vietnamese forces to harass American planes throughout the conflict.
- Shenyang J-11. Many of the fastest planes in the world are knock-offs or even complete copies of similar designs. The Chinese Shenyang J-11 is based on a faster Soviet Union-era plane that is still in production.
- MiG-23 "Flogger" The MiG-23, nicknamed "Flogger," is a Mach 2.35 bomber/fighter hybrid that can reach miles per hour at around 1553. This jet was produced by the Soviet Union in 1970 and while it no longer sees use with the current Russian armed forces, it is still employed by Indian and Sri Lankan defense forces.
- MiG-25. Top speed: Mach 2.83 (3,000 km/h / 1,900 mph / 1,600 kn at 70,538 ft / 21,500 m) Designed in the late 1960s the MiG-25 was arguably the most feared fighter jet of the Cold War, and is responsible for the US scrambling to develop the F-15.
- MiG-31. Top speed: Mach 2.83 (3,000 km/h / 1,900 mph / 1,600 kn at 70,538 ft / 21,500 m) The MiG-31 was based on the legendary MiG-25 and was also intended to replace it.
- McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. Top speed: Mach 2.5 (2,655 km/h / 1,650 mph / 1,434 kn at 40,000 ft / 12,000 m) Probably one of the most well-known US-made aircraft, the F-15 is operated by the USAF, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
- Sukhoi Su-27 family. Top speed: Mach 2.35 (2,500 km/h / 1,600 mph / 1,300 kn at 36,000 ft / 11,000 m) The Su-27 was one of the most prolific late-Cold War jets, giving rise to an entire family of aircraft that includes the Su-30, the Su-34, the Su-35, the J-11, and J-16 among others.
The fastest plane in the world in 2023 available to passengers is the Virgin Galactic craft. In July 2021, six passengers aboard the rocket plane hit a speed of Mach 3 in the skies above New Mexico, USA. Unlike the other aircraft on this list, the VSS Unity is powered by a single rocket engine.
A Bangladesh Air Force MiG-29 with full afterburners. Photo by Bangladesh Air Force/Wikipedia. The MiG-29 was built by the USSR to compete with the likes of the F-15 Eagle during the Cold War. It is a lightweight fighter that can fly 1,500km on a tank of fuel, and be refuelled whilst in the air.
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Jul 21, 2021 · Mach 6.7: The X-15 Remains the Fastest Airplane to Ever Fly. It's flight record has stood for over half a century. by Caleb Larson L. Here's What You Need to Know: The X-15’s Mach 6.7...
