Aviation is one of the spheres of human activity that is developing at the fastest pace. Since the advent of the first aircraft, speed has become one of the most important characteristics in aviation. The fastest aircraft have superiority not only in the military unit, but also in civil aviation.
We will consider different types of aircraft in the article and find out what is the fastest aircraft in the world and what are its main characteristics. The leading countries of the world spare no money for the development of aviation, allocating large funds for the development of new high-speed models of aircraft: both in military and in civil aviation.
The fastest aircraft of various types:
✅ The fastest fighters
Let's start with fighters, for which speed is the main criterion for efficiency, providing them with maneuverability and such a specific indicator as combat survivability.
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Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Let's start the list, which includes the fastest fighter planets on the planet, with the American F-14 Tomcat. Perhaps the most powerful fighter in the world of those that are capable of developing high speed. Having entered the US Army in 1974, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat has a speed of 2,485 km / h.
It was actively used by the Americans during military operations in the Middle East. To date, the American fighter has already been discontinued, but continues to be used in the armies of some countries of the world, including the Iranian Air Force.
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McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
The all-weather fighter of the US Air Force has a speed of 2,665 km / h, and was developed as part of a joint project between NASA and the US Air Force.
Despite the complex design, and the use of heavy alloys of various metals, the fighter has good maneuverability. The model is constantly being upgraded, and its operation is extended every year for a longer period.
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MiG-25
The Soviet fighter, actively used by the Russian Aerospace Forces, is capable of developing a fairly high speed. The maximum speed of the fighter is 3,494 km / h, which puts it in second place in the list of high-speed combat vehicles of this type.
The old-timer of military aviation has not been produced for a long time, but is in service with the armies of the two countries. 11 combat vehicles are in Algeria, and the same number of MiG-25 makes combat sorties in Syria.
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MiG-31
This combat supersonic fighter was developed in the early 70s, and became the first Soviet fourth-generation fighter.
The MIG-31 made its first flight in September 1975, and was put into service in 1981. Today, the upgraded MiG-31 can reach speeds of up to 3,500 km / h, and it is the fastest fighter in the world.
💣 The fastest bombers:
For this type of combat vehicles, speed is not so important, but among them there are speed champions that can cover long distances in the shortest possible time.
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Tu-160
All over the world, the Russian bomber is known under the poetic name "White Swan", and according to NATO classification it is called "Blackjack".
Its main advantages are maneuverability, flight range and range, but also a maximum speed of 2,230 km / h, introduces the Russian supersonic strategic bomber into the world's top high-speed aircraft. Despite the large mass, the Tu-160 takes off very quickly and has a climb rate of 60–70 m / s.
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Rockwell B-1 Lancer
The American supersonic bomber was developed in the 80s of the last century, and was actively used by the United States in hostilities. The maximum speed of the combat vehicle is 2,300 km / h, and the flight range is almost 10 thousand kilometers.
It was originally created with the aim of placing nuclear weapons on it, but in the course of work was reoriented to conventional weapons. There are several modifications of this model, which are in service with the US Air Force.
✅ The fastest passenger aircraft
It's no secret that civil aviation is the fastest mode of transport on Earth. Today, there are airliners capable of delivering passengers as quickly as possible to anywhere in the world.
Boom supersonic
This supersonic airliner can not yet be seen on the runways of passenger airports, since the project is still under development.
The first model, created in 2016, is capable of speeds of 2,335 km / h. Unlike the expensive Concordes, the XB-1 Baby Boom will be a budget, low-cost project. The construction used a complex delta, and the pilot will control the model, as in ordinary civilian liners, two pilots.
Cessna citation x
One of the first business-class aircraft created by an American company has long held a record for the speed performance of this class of airliners.
Cessna Citation X is able to accelerate to 1,126 km / h, and the flight range is 6 thousand kilometers. This twin-engine turbofan is actively used not only by airlines, but also by individuals. By the number of charter flights, Cessna Citation X is perhaps the leader among the entire global fleet.
Cessna Citation X +
Today, the Cessna Citation X +, at a maximum speed of 1,153 km / h, is the fastest passenger aircraft in the world. Such indicators were achieved due to the establishment of powerful engines on the liner, as well as changes in the wing design.
In addition, the designers took care of the comfort of passengers, making a comfortable lounge. There are only 12 seats in the cabin, because the most modern aircraft has become the flagship of world business aviation.
Airbus A380
Created by European designers, the A380 is today the fastest production aircraft in the world, with a speed of 1,020 km / h. But the speed of the airliner is not the only advantage of this model. This is one of the largest serial airliners of world civil aviation.
He appeared on air airlines in 2005, and immediately gained popularity among leading airlines. Experts note the ease of control, and passengers comfort and convenience during long flights.
TheBiggest.ru has a fascinating article on the world's largest passenger aircraft. If you are interested in this topic, follow the link.
Boeing 747
Among the fast airliners, it is worth mentioning the Boeing 747, which has a speed of 988 km / h. These aircraft were the first long-range aircraft with two decks and a wide fuselage.
High flight speed is provided by powerful engines and features of the aerodynamic design of the liner body. Airlines are actively buying Boeing, despite the rather high price, and today it is the most common airliner on the airways of the world.
✅ History
In conclusion, we consider aircraft of various modifications that are no longer in use, but went down in history as one of the fastest aircraft in the world.
Tu-144
The Soviet supersonic passenger plane made its first flight on the last day of 1968, and since 1977 began to carry out passenger transportation. The appearance of a supersonic aircraft became a challenge of the time, and for many years determined the vector of development of civil aviation.
But the history of the first Soviet supersonic Soviet liner was short-lived. After several disasters, it was decommissioned in 1978. The aircraft, which has a speed of 2,430 km / h, was used for space experiments until 1999. Today, 5 copies are preserved in the world, which are in aviation museums, as well as in storage at training aerodromes.
Concorde
Translated from French, the name of this handsome man is translated as “Consent”. Like the Soviet Tu-144, it has a steep, pointed fairing, and the wings have a multi-span design.
The passenger liner, capable of speeds of 2 179 km / h, made its first flight in 1969. Multiple disasters that happened with the liner, led to its decommissioning in 2003. Now an unusual beautiful car can be seen only at museum sites.
SR-71 Blackbird
The US Air Force strategic supersonic reconnaissance plane was given the unofficial name of Blackbird, and the maximum speed it could develop reached 3,540 km / h.
It was operated from the mid 60s to 1998, and then was withdrawn from service. The reasons for the abandonment of the project was the heating of the apparatus during flight, as well as the high cost of fuel. In addition, he could only refuel in flight, as the Lockheed SR-71 could not take off with full tanks.
North american x-15
An unusual model was developed specifically for hypersonic research. The aircraft had a speed of 8,312 km / h (Mach 6.72), and was controlled by one pilot.
The experimental rocket plane was equipped with jet engines, and its first test flight "North American X-15" carried out in the distant 1958. Having fulfilled its mission, the aircraft, which went down in history as the fastest manned aircraft in the world, was decommissioned in 1970.
✅ The fastest drones
Boeing X-43
In this nomination, there is only one model, the Boeing X-43, which today is the fastest aircraft. This drone is capable of accelerating to 11,230 km / h. Whoever has not forgotten the lessons of physics will easily calculate that this is 9.6 times the speed of sound.
The project was developed over 10 years, and its goal is experimental development in the field of hypersonic aviation. Scientists and designers predict that the future of aviation is behind hypersonic aircraft. After all, they are able to deliver a person anywhere in the world in 3-4 hours.
So we met with high-speed aircraft champions, but designers who compete in the creation of the fastest aircraft, still do not forget about safety. Recall that our site has already written about the world's largest air crashes.
Of course, aircraft have not yet reached their speed limit, and every year the world learns about new design developments of supersonic aircraft. Each decade gives us more and more fastest aircraft. TheBiggest tries to keep abreast, but if you know about any new fast model, write about it in the comments.
Article author: Valery Skiba