Is it possible at the present stage to single out the fastest aircraft in the world? After all, they were designed just a huge amount. Five aircraft should be singled out that are capable of developing the highest speed.

Which model can be considered the fastest?

The first position is rightfully occupied by the Falcon HTV-2 model. This is the fastest plane in the world. The speed it reaches in flight is 13,000 miles per hour. The model was designed and released in 2010. The second flight on the plane took place already in 2011. Purpose of this aircraft is quite closely associated with prompt response to any threats of a terrorist nature. Using this model, you can fly from Sydney to London in just 1 hour. True, it is still unknown how this will affect the pilot's well-being. But it is not possible to find out either, since the largest number of launches took place using an unmanned mode.

Maximum speed achieved in a few seconds

Let's continue talking about the rating "The fastest aircraft in the world." 11,230 km / h is capable of developing the X-43A model. This aircraft was developed by professional NASA designers. The distinguishing feature is the fact that it is able to develop maximum speed in just 10 seconds. This model has an engine newest generation. It enables the aircraft to move without the use of oxygen on board. Due to this, maneuverability and lightness are increased. This is another of the fastest aircraft in the world. 11,230 km / h is a vivid confirmation of this.

Powerful and fast model

In the third position is one of the most powerful models. We are talking about the X-15. In a short period of time, the aircraft reaches its maximum speed, which is equal to 4520 miles per hour. This representative of the rating "The fastest aircraft in the world" has a rather original purpose. It contributes to the transformation of ordinary pilots into astronauts. This model is capable of flying to altitudes in excess of 50 miles quite easily. Before flying, astronauts must undergo special training. This aircraft can be quite actively used for space flights. A variant for space walks should be designed soon. In this regard, thrill-seekers can get an excellent opportunity to soon be on board this aircraft.

A model that can withstand high temperatures

In fourth position in the ranking of "The fastest aircraft in the world" is a model called "Blackbird". The speed of such an aircraft reaches 220 miles / hour. The basis for the design of the SR-71 aircraft was a titanium alloy manufactured by Lockheed Corporation. Due to this alloy, the aircraft is able to withstand heating up to 2 thousand degrees Fahrenheit. For about 40 years, this model performed quite complex tasks. And only in 1998 the car was decommissioned. Unfortunately, the flight of this model will no longer be possible to see.

Several variants of one aircraft

The fifth position is occupied by the fastest Russian-made aircraft in the world. We are talking about the MIG-25. Max Speed, which can be achieved by the pilot, driving this model, is equal to 2 thousand miles / hour. Such an aircraft can be seen in several versions. One of the first interpretations took off in the 60s of the 20th century. This model became famous for being able to shoot down a US B-70 bomber. The second option should include a model that first flew into the air in the 70s. Despite the fact that such aircraft had some difficulties in terms of maneuvering, they still managed to get away from the 10 Gulf War F-15 missiles.

Old models that have not lost their power

As you know, for the first time in military operations, aviation began to be used in 1794. This happened during the Battle of Fleurus between Austria and France. It was during those distant events that the French used air means. Their main task was reconnaissance. At present, the development of technology is proceeding at a fairly rapid pace. Therefore, primitive aircraft were replaced by high-class aircraft with helicopters. What is the fastest military aircraft in the world? It should be noted those models that have been produced for a long time.

The F-15 Eagle fighter, regardless of its rather large size, has higher maneuverability characteristics. It was developed by American aircraft designers. It was necessary in order to achieve superiority in airspace. This is what the fastest aircraft was needed for. It is considered stronger than Soviet military aircraft. This was achieved through the use of special materials in the design of the ship. Among the advantages of the fighter, one should single out the large capacity that characterized the fuel tanks. In addition, there were autonomous power supply systems for engines, which were equipped with supply tanks, as well as a ringing system.

Another fastest aircraft is the F-111 Aardvark bomber. It was designed in America. It is characterized by the presence of variable wing geometry. Among the advantages, one should also highlight the ability to detect enemy objects and then strike at them, regardless of weather conditions and time of day. In addition, with the help of this bomber, you can break through air defenses, regardless of its density. This aircraft was used quite actively during the Vietnam War.

Designed by Soviet specialists, the Su-24 Fenser can also act as the fastest aircraft in the world. Photos that are available in enough in large numbers, show some similarity with the American F-111 model. The Soviet bomber is capable of attacking ground targets at relatively low altitudes. Compared to its American counterpart, it is characterized by the highest speed, high power, small size, and the ability to take off from insufficiently well-equipped airfields.

American-made fighter and interceptor

The 4th generation REO F-14 Tomkat jet fighter was designed in America back in 1970. It is characterized by a variable geometry of the wing, a significant capacity of the fuel tank. In addition, it uses a weapon control system. It was due to her that this fighter got the opportunity to repel missile attacks on ship groups.

The next model is the REO "Super Tomkat" F-14D. This is the latest model of a jet interceptor. They thought about its development at a time when it became necessary to detect and destroy enemy aircraft at night. On top of that, on an airplane of this model it was possible to fly regardless of weather conditions.

Conclusion

What is the fastest plane in the world? We hope that the answer to this question can be found in this review. An attempt was made in the article to consider the fastest models that have been produced before and are still being produced.

“The desire to fly is an idea passed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling off-road journeys in prehistoric times looked with envy at the birds soaring freely in space, at full speed, without any obstacles on the endless road of air, ”Wilbur Wright once said.

Could the Wright brothers have imagined back in 1903 what their idea of ​​controlled flight in the air would turn into? Now you will not surprise anyone with supersonic aircraft and winged colossi capable of transporting not only people, but also heavy equipment.

Well, even if we cannot fly like birds, but if we wish, we can fly on one of most large aircraft in the world. Choose which of these giants you like the most.

Role: multipurpose aircraft.

Developer: Design Bureau Tupolev, USSR.

This aircraft, created at the Voronezh Aviation Plant in 1934, became the largest aircraft of its time. Its wing span reached 63 meters, and the maximum takeoff weight was 42,000 kg. The ANT-20 was served by a staff of 5 people, and the aircraft could take 48 passengers on board.

When the "dad" of the Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery arrived in the USSR, he flew the ANT-20. But the life of this model was short-lived. In 1935, during a demonstration flight, the aircraft took off along with the I-5 fighter, which was supposed to demonstrate the difference in size for newsreel. During the execution of the figures aerobatics I-5 entered the "Nesterov loop", lost speed and crashed down on top of the ANT-20. That, in turn, began to fall apart in the sky and fell on the holiday village of Sokol.

As a result of this accident, 49 people died. A memorial has been preserved at the Novodevichy Cemetery, crowned with a huge granite bas-relief of a crashed plane.

Role: transport aircraft.

Developer: Boeing.

An aircraft unsurpassed in terms of the spaciousness of the fuselage. The volume of its transport compartment is 1840 cubic meters. It is used purely for the transport of parts of the Boeing 787, which are designed by third-party suppliers. A total of 4 Dreamlifters were put into operation.

The Boeing 747 LCF looks unpretentious, for which it has even been compared to the Wienermobile, a bun-shaped car used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. And the head of Boeing, Scott Carson, jokingly apologized to Joe Sutter, the head of the Boeing 747 development team, for what he did to his plane.

Developer: Boeing.

Boeing knows how to develop aircraft that set records. Here 747-8 became the longest passenger aircraft in the world. Its length is 76.4 meters.

The Boeing 747-8 is a new generation of the Boeing 747 series (eighth on our list). It features a lengthened fuselage, improved wing, and greater economic efficiency.

Role: passenger airliner.

Developer: Boeing.

Once upon a time, when asked what was the largest aircraft in the world in terms of passenger capacity, the designers of the double-deck Boeing 747 proudly answered: “Ours”! Depending on the modification, the aircraft can accommodate up to 624 passengers on board. But then the Airbus A380 appeared and pushed the Boeing 747 off the pedestal of the most spacious aircraft.

If you watched "Casino Royale" with Daniel Craig as James Bond, then you may remember the SkyFleet S570 liner, which the terrorists wanted to blow up. The Boeing 747-236B, which was built in 1980 and flew until 2002, acted as this airliner. A worthy end to a career.

And the Boeing 747 is also associated with one of the largest air crashes in the world. It happened in 1977 on the island of Tenerife. In fog, two Boeing 747s collided with each other on the runway, killing 583 people.

Role: transport aircraft.

Developer: OKB im. O.K.Antonova.

This winged machine, named "Antey" in honor of the invincible giant from ancient Greek myths, still remains the world's largest turboprop aircraft.

Transportation of goods during the war in Afghanistan and during the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, transportation of refugees and military personnel from Eastern Europe and neighboring countries - this is not a complete "track record" of the An-22. And in one of the passenger flights organized during the air bridge between Egypt and Soviet Union in 1972, Antey set a record by taking almost 700 people on board. This is a real plane-worker, reliable and unpretentious in operation.

Role: transport aircraft.

Developer: OKB im. O.K.Antonova.

The five largest aircraft in the world are opened by the Soviet development, which until the advent of the Airbus A380 (fourth number on the list) was considered the largest of the mass-produced aircraft.

However, no one has yet taken away the title of "largest military aircraft" from the An-124, as well as the title of the world's largest cargo-lifting serial transport aircraft.

And although now the production of Ruslan, as Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov called this aircraft, has been suspended, the existing fleet of aircraft will be modernized. This was announced in July 2018 by Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov.

Role: passenger liner.

Developer: Airbus.

The largest passenger aircraft in the world (from mass-produced) and one of the largest aircraft on Earth. When you watch a video with one of the largest aircraft in the world, it's hard to believe that such a colossus is capable of taking off.

The Airbus A380 is capable of carrying up to 853 passengers in an economy class configuration. By comparison, the A380's main competitor, the Boeing 747 passenger airliner, carries only 624 people in full economy class configuration.

Not only airlines own the luxurious Airbus A380. By order of the Saudi prince Al-Walid ibn Talal, a private jet was built, which cost the owner $488 million.

Role: passenger liner.

Developer: Airbus.

It is the largest member of the Airbus A340 family and the third longest aircraft in the world (75.36 meters). Airbus A340 aircraft were produced until November 2011, but could not compete with the Boeing 777. However, they still make Passenger Transportation in various countries of the world.

It is curious that during the entire period of operation (since 1993) only five A340 aircraft were lost. In this case, not a single passenger or crew member died.

Role: cargo aircraft.

Developer: OKB im. O.K.Antonova.

It is the largest transport aircraft ever built. Its maximum takeoff weight is 640 tons, and its payload is 250 tons.

An-225 is capable of carrying on its fuselage vehicles, construction and military equipment and other oversized cargo to different parts of the world. But this giant was intended for a different, much larger purpose. It was created as part of the Buran reusable spacecraft project. It was assumed that the An-225 would transport the components of the Buran and the launch vehicle from the place of creation and assembly to the launch site.

The first flight of the Mriya (dream in Ukrainian) took place in December 1988, carrying a Buran weighing sixty tons. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the "dream" was left without work. They began to operate it again (after appropriate modernization) only in 2000, for commercial transportation.

And most recently, in September 2018, the giant aircraft set a new record by making a thirteen-hour non-stop flight from Ukrainian Gostomel to the American airport of Auckland. He covered a distance of 9800 km.

Role: carrier aircraft.

Developer: Scaled Composites.

This huge aircraft will not carry conventional cargo. Rather, it will serve as another way to deliver objects, namely satellites, into the stratosphere before launching them into space orbit. This mode of transport will be more reliable and less expensive than traditional rockets.

In contrast to the big plane in the world - the Ukrainian "Mriya" - the American Stratolaunch does not fly yet. Its first demonstration took place in May 2017. In terms of wingspan - 117.3 meters, it far exceeds the An-225 (88.4 meters, respectively). On the this moment Stratolaunch - the world's largest wing span aircraft.

However, the American is inferior to the Ukrainian "colleague" in terms of maximum takeoff weight (589,670 kg and 640,000 kg, respectively) and length (73 meters for the Stratolaunch versus 84 meters for the An-225).

The exact dates for the new Stratolaunch tests are not yet known. Engineers hope that this aircraft will enter service within the next 10 years.

Flight altitude is one of the most important aviation parameters. It affects, in particular, the speed and fuel consumption. Sometimes the flight safety also depends on the choice of altitude. So, for example, pilots have to change altitude during a sharp change in weather conditions, due to thick fog, dense clouds, an extensive thunderstorm front or a turbulent zone.

What should be the flight altitude

In contrast to the speed of the aircraft (where the faster the better), the flight altitude must be optimal. And each type of aircraft has its own. It would never occur to anyone to compare the heights at which, for example, sports, passenger or multi-purpose combat aircraft fly. And yet, there are record holders here too.

The first flight altitude record was ... three meters. It was at this height that the Wright Flyer of the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright first flew on December 17, 1903. 74 years later, on August 31, 1977, Soviet test pilot Alexander Fedotov on the MiG-25 fighter set a world altitude record - 37650 meters. Until now, it remains the maximum altitude of a fighter aircraft.

At what altitude do passenger planes fly

Aircraft of civil airlines by right constitute the most large group modern aviation. As of 2015, there were 21.6 thousand multi-seat aircraft in the world, of which a third - 7.4 thousand - are large wide-body passenger liners.

When determining the optimal flight altitude (level), the controller or crew commander is guided by the following. As is known, what more height, the more discharged the air and the easier it is for the plane to fly - therefore it makes sense to rise higher. However, the wings of the aircraft need support, and to the utmost high altitude(for example, in the stratosphere) it is clearly not enough, and the car will start to “fall over”, and the engines will stall.

The conclusion suggests itself: the commander (and today the on-board computer) chooses the "golden mean" - the ideal ratio of friction and lift. As a result, each type passenger liners(taking into account weather conditions, technical characteristics, duration and direction of flight) its optimal height.

Why do airplanes fly at an altitude of 10,000 meters?

In general, flight altitude civil aircraft varies from 10 to 12 thousand meters when flying to the west and from 9 to 11 thousand meters - to the east. 12 thousand meters is the maximum height for passenger aircraft, above which the engines begin to "suffocate" from a lack of oxygen. Because of this, an altitude of 10,000 meters is considered the most optimal.

At what height do fighter jets fly?

The altitude criteria for fighters are somewhat different, which is explained by their purpose: depending on the task, combat operations have to be carried out at different altitudes. The technical equipment of modern fighters allows them to operate in the range from several tens of meters to tens of kilometers.

However, the exorbitant heights of fighters are now "out of fashion." And this has its own explanation. Modern air defense systems and air-to-air fighter missiles are capable of destroying targets at any altitude. Therefore, the main problem for the fighter is to detect and destroy the enemy earlier, and go unnoticed himself. The optimal flight altitude of the 5th generation fighter (practical ceiling) is 20,000 meters.

We admire how fast a regular passenger plane can reach and how quickly it can get us from one part of the world to another. Few people know, but the speed of passenger airliners usually does not exceed 900 km / h. Almost any jet fighter will be able to overtake such a vessel, developing a speed of about three times as much.

But there are aircraft whose speed exceeds this indicator - hypersonic aircraft. Hypersonic devices are devices that are capable of reaching speeds several times higher than the speed of sound in flight.

A specific indicator that would allow aircraft to be classified as hypersonic has not yet been determined by researchers.

Another criterion that causes constant controversy is the way the device is controlled. Some researchers are of the opinion that only those ships can be called aircraft, managed by a person. According to another point of view, drones can also be classified as aircraft. Such a division can be considered quite justified, since unmanned vehicles have more advanced technical specifications. Also, the subject of dispute is the ability of the aircraft to take off independently or using other powerful carriers.

Be that as it may, most researchers are of the unanimous opinion, according to which the determining factor in classifying a particular model as a hypersonic model is the maximum speed of the aircraft that it can develop while in the air. This approach allows several times to expand the list of hypersonic aircraft models, which are being developed by engineers from all over the world. Of course, many are interested in what is the fastest aircraft in the world that is already cutting through the sky, and what characteristics it has.

Celestial Speed ​​Rating

To answer this interesting question, let's make a rating: "The fastest planes in the world Top 10". In it we will mark those models air transport, which rightfully deserve to go down in history thanks to their characteristics.

10th place: Tupolev Tu-144

Photograph of Tupolev Tu-144 aircraft

The speed performance of the Tu-144 would not allow it to enter the top 10 fastest aircraft. However, it would be wrong not to mention him in this rating. Tupolev took an honorable tenth place, as it is the first supersonic passenger airliner in the world. Its first flight was dated back to 1968. This event was literally a gift for the field of aviation development, as the flight took place on December 31, just on the eve of the New Year celebration. But the most significant event in the history of the Tu-144 took place on June 5, 1969, when he managed to overcome the sound barrier, being at an altitude of 11 km. Tupolev Tu-144 is the fastest passenger aircraft in the world, accelerating up to 2,500 km/h.

9th place: General Dynamics F-111

In ninth place is a tactical bomber, accelerating to a speed of 3060 km / h. Unfortunately, the model was decommissioned in the late 90s. At one time, the device became the first aircraft that could change the sweep of the wing, which gave it a significant advantage in the air.

8th Place: McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

8th position is given to the American all-weather fighter, which is one of the most successful aircraft. Now this model is still an important part of the US Air Force and will not leave service until at least 2025. In addition, the American command plans to produce these devices for about three more years. The vessel can gain speed equal to 3065 km/h.

7th place: MiG-31

Domestic sky guard MiG-31

The seventh line was occupied by a domestic aircraft capable of accelerating to 3463.92 km / h. The device boasts two powerful engines, allowing it to develop supersonic speeds at both high and low altitudes. Unfortunately, the production of this combat vessel was stopped in the first half of the 90s.

6th place: XB-70 Valkyrie

Sixth place went to the strategic bomber, whose main task in the days of " cold war” would be the delivery of nuclear weapons. It was assumed that a speed equal to 3672 km / h would be needed by the device in order to elude Soviet interceptors, but, more importantly, still not fall under the consequences nuclear explosion. Only two aircraft of this model were created.

5th place: Bell X-2 Starbuster

The next place goes to an experimental aircraft, the main purpose of which is to study the conditions of flight at high speeds. According to preliminary data, the aircraft could reach a speed of 3911.9 km / h. The first flight of the device took place in 1954, but two years later this program had to be stopped. The fact is that after the plane has reached its maximum speed, the pilot will no longer be able to control it.

4th place: MiG-25

The MiG-25 aircraft was built especially for organizing interceptions of American reconnaissance aircraft, which took an honorable fourth place. The device has unique features:

• develops a speed of 3916.8 km / h;
• strikes targets at an altitude of up to 25 km.

The aircraft proved to be excellent in some conflicts and is still in the ranks of the armed forces of some countries. In total, 1100 aircraft of this type were created.

3rd place: Lockheed YF-12

In 3rd place was the device, which was developed as a prototype of an aircraft capable of reaching a speed equal to 3.35 the speed of sound. This aircraft model received several honorary titles, which later moved, roughly speaking, to Lockheed's "brother" - to the SR-71 Blackbird model. Both devices were designed by designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. The maximum speed that the YF-12 could develop was 4100.4 km / h.

2nd place: SR-71 Blackbird

"Blackbird", and this is how the name of this model can be translated into Russian, was used by the US Air Force and NASA. Moreover, the first plane was needed to carry out strategic reconnaissance missions, and the second - for research purposes. A total of 32 vessels were built, since the creation of the apparatus was associated with an important problem: the high temperature of the apparatus, to which it warmed up in flight. In addition, this model requires special fuel to operate, and refueling can only be done in flight. Thrush speed - 4102.8 km / h.

1st Place: North American X-15

The fastest manned hypersonic aircraft

The speed of fast plane, which is manned, is 8200.8 km / h. The model was developed specifically for research related to hypersonic flight, in which the vessel is controlled by a pilot. The aircraft is equipped with a rocket engine and launches from a strategic bomber. It is noteworthy that the ship can rise to a height of 107 km. Actively used until 1970.

Unmanned Rivals

The jet-powered Boeing X-43 is now the fastest unmanned aircraft in the world. The first flight of the device was unsuccessful, as the plane crashed after only 11 seconds in the air. But already the third flight of the X-43A was crowned with the setting of a new world speed record - 11,230 km / h.

Orbital Sciences Corporation X-34 could get the title of the fastest aircraft, but this is prevented by one "but". In theory, the ship can accelerate to 12,144 km/h. However, during the experimental flights, he could not catch up with his main rival and gained speed less than 11,230 km / h.

Dangerous competition

Chinese WU-14 hypersonic developments deserve special consideration. In essence, the WU-14 is a guided glider mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile. The rocket complex launches the device into space, from where it dives down sharply, while gaining incredible speed. During testing, this device was able to develop a speed that exceeded the mark of 12,000 km / h. But many researchers are of the opinion that this development does not belong to the class of aircraft, but to be classified as a warhead.

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Over time, aviation has advanced far ahead by leaps and bounds. More and more new models of aircraft are being designed that have such a high speed that it can exceed the speed of sound at unimaginable heights many times over. Today we will share with you our Top 10 ranking. the fastest planes in the world. We will tell you about some of the features of these aircraft, about who worked on their creation, when the first flights took place, and much more. This will be interesting, so let's get started. Let's fly!

10.Su-27

• Country: USSR/Russia
• Developer: Sukhoi Design Bureau
• Type of: Multirole fighter
• Production start year: 1981
• Max Speed: 2876.4 km/h

Unlocks the top 10 fastest aircraft in the world Su-27, a twin-engine fighter built in the former USSR in an attempt to outperform similarly advanced american planes. The aircraft made its first flight in May 1977 and officially entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1985. Can achieve a maximum supersonic speed of Mach 2.35 (1550 mph or 2876.4 km/h).

The Su-27 gained a reputation as one of the most capable fighters of its time. These aircraft are still in service with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

• Country: USA
• Developer: General Dynamics
• Type of: Fighter-bomber, strategic bomber
• Production start year: 1967
• Max Speed: 3060 km/h

The large aerospace company General Dynamics completed the development of the F-111 Aardvark tactical strike aircraft about half a century ago. According to calculations, the F-111 Aardvark should accommodate two crew members. 1967 and the aircraft was the first to go to the US Air Force for service. It was used in strategic bombing campaigns, in reconnaissance operations, and also with its help, electronic warfare was carried out. This aircraft can reach Mach 2.5 with particular ease. And this exceeds the speed of sound by about 2.5 times.

• Country: USA
• Developer: McDonnell Douglas, Boeing Defense, Space & Security
• Type of: Fighter-interceptor
• Production start year: 1976
• Max Speed: 3065 km/h

In the late 60s, McDonnell Douglas completed its work on the development of a tactical twin-engine fighter. Its immediate purpose is to capture and maintain its superiority during periods of air combat. July 1972 successfully passed the first flight. A few years later, in 1976, the US Air Force adopted the F-15 Eagle into service.

This aircraft is one of those who are not successful. His speed is impressive, exceeding Mach 2.5. The US Air Force plans to keep this aircraft in service for a long time, at least until 2025. It has been exported abroad, namely Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia, Turkey.

• Country: USSR/Russia
• Developer: OKB MiG
• Type of: Fighter-interceptor
• Production start year: 1975-1994
• Max Speed: 3463.92 km/h

Mikoyan's design bureau completed the production of a large, twin-engine supersonic aircraft, and already in 1975, in September, the first flight of the aircraft took place. In 1982, he was accepted into service with the USSR Air Force.

The speed of the MiG-31 can reach Mach 2.83. His unique ability is that he is able to develop supersonic speed and fly it even low above the ground. Years go by, and the MiG-31 continues to faithfully serve the Russian Aerospace Forces. This car is one of the best representatives of its class and is rightfully ranked with the best and fastest aircraft in the world.

• Country: USA
• Developer: North American Aviation
• Type of: Strategic bomber, research aircraft
• Production start year: 1964-1969
• Max Speed: 3794.4 km/h

In the late 50s, North American Aviation developed the XB-70, which has six engines. The goal of the creators was to design an aircraft that would serve as a prototype for a strategic bomber with a stock of nuclear bombs.

In 1965, the XB-70 reached its peak speed while flying in California over Edwards Air Force Base. The height above the ground reached 21,300 meters, while the speed was Mach 3.1.

Between 1964 and 1969, two XB-70 models were built and used for test flights. In 1966, one of the models crashed in a mid-air collision. And the second model is in Dayton, it's on display National Museum US Air Force on display.

• Country: USA
• Developer: Bell Aircraft
• Type of: experimental aircraft
• Production start year: 1955-1956
• Max Speed: 3911.904 km/h

A whole group worked on the creation of this aircraft. This group included the US Air Force, the National advisory committee and Bell Aircraft Corporation. In 1945, work on the development of an aircraft with a rocket engine was completed. The purpose of the creation of the aircraft was: to study the properties of aerodynamics when flying with supersonic speed, while the range is Mach 2 and 3.

1955, November, X-2 made its first flight. A year later, Captain Milburn managed to reach a speed of Mach 3.196, while the altitude was 19,800 meters. Alas, after reaching the peak speed, the plane got out of control and crashed to the ground. Of course, this tragedy did not go unnoticed, and the X-2 program stopped its work.

• Country: USSR/Russia
• Developer: OKB MiG
• Type of: Interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft, breakthrough aircraft
• Production start year: 1969-1985
• Max Speed: 3916.8 km/h

Legendary designers - Seletsky, Gurevich and Matyuk worked on the production of this technical miracle. Its main purpose is to collect intelligence data and intercept enemy aircraft at speeds exceeding supersonic speed. 1964, the first flight took place, and in the 70s the Soviet Air Force actively used it.

The speed of the MiG-25 is incredible - Mach 3.2. Therefore, it is one of the fastest aircraft in the world and is still used for service in the Russian Aerospace Forces and beyond. Other countries such as Syria and Algeria use the MiG-25 in their air forces.

• Country: USA
• Developer: Lockheed Corporation, Scunk Works
• Type of: Strategic scout
• Production start year: 1966-1999
• Max Speed: 4039.2 km/h

Reconnaissance missions, or rather their implementation - this is the main task this aircraft. In addition, it easily reflects the threats of the enemy. The maximum speed is Mach 3.3, while the height is 29 thousand meters. It is worth noting that according to some sources, the speed of the Blackbird is indicated at Mach 3.5, but this is not confirmed data. Nevertheless, the third line in the ranking of the fastest aircraft in the world is an honor.

• Country: USA
• Developer: Lockheed Corporation
• Type of: Interceptor
• Production start year: 1963-1965
• Max Speed: 4100.4 km/h

About half a century ago, Lockheed Corporation completed the development of a prototype aircraft. The purpose of creating such an aircraft is to intercept enemy aircraft. "Area 51" became the site of testing YF-12. This place is a top-secret US Air Force training ground. 1963, 27,600 meters, YF-12 makes its first flight. Its speed is Mach 3.35. But over time, the US Air Force stopped the YF-12 flight program. However, the YF-12 managed to conduct several research flights for NASA and the Air Force. In the late 70s, aircraft flights were finally completed.

1.X-15

• Country: USA
• Developer: North American Aviation
• Type of: Experimental high-speed research rocket plane
• Production start year: 1959-1968
• Max Speed: 8225.28 km/h

This device has no equal in speed - world's fastest plane. It is capable of reaching Mach 6.72, the highest speed for a manned aircraft. In the 70s, the flights of this rocket plane ended, but during its service, many famous personalities, such as Neil Armstrong, were able to take part in the program. The height to which the pilots climbed was over 100 kilometers. Such pilots can already be safely called astronauts.