3.05.2015 at 19:28 · Johnny · 70 410

Top 10 fastest planes in the world

There are a large number of aircraft in the world that have crossed the speed limit of Mach 2 (2448 km / h). Some of them are research vehicles, but most are combat or reconnaissance vehicles.

Agree, there is something fascinating about flying at supersonic speeds, which all the fastest aircraft in the world can achieve. Just imagine: you are at an altitude of five kilometers, you hear a clear “forward” command in your headphones and squeeze the throttle back all the way. You feel like a powerful engine accelerates you to a speed unthinkable for any other life form on our planet.

But it's not about you at all - you're just a passenger. The plane you are flying on is a true work of art, the work and knowledge of hundreds of designers and engineers was invested in it. Now we will tell you about the ten fastest aircraft in the world.

10. Su-27 | 2876.4 km/h

Su-27 can reach Mach 2.35. This aircraft is the pinnacle of engineering in the former Soviet Union. This aircraft has two engines and a fly-by-wire control system, first used on Soviet combat aircraft. This machine was created to gain air superiority, and for this he had to face a new generation of American aircraft, such as the F-15 Eagle. The Su-27 is armed with a 30-mm cannon and has 10 hardpoints for air-to-air missiles that can hit the enemy at medium and short distances. The Su-27 is a really cool aircraft, despite the fact that it took to the skies for the first time over 35 years ago, these fighters are still in service. Numerous modifications of the Su-27 have been created. And the most modern of them are a formidable opponent for any aircraft.

9. General Dynamics F-111 | 3060 km/h

Number nine on our list of the fastest aircraft in the world is not a fighter, it's a tactical bomber that can reach Mach 2.5. This beautiful aircraft has already been decommissioned in 1998. It had nine external hardpoints and two bomb bays inside the fuselage. All this allowed him to lift into the air and deliver to the target 14,300 kg of conventional or nuclear bombs, carry air-to-air missiles, or it was possible to install a multi-barreled rapid-fire cannon on it. F-111 also called Anteater. The F-111 was the first aircraft launched into the series with a variable swept wing, and this gave this aircraft tangible advantages.

8. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle | 3065 km/h

This is an American all-weather fighter, which is considered one of the most successful aircraft, it is still in service with the US Air Force. F-15 Eagle belongs to the fourth generation, has two engines and excellent thrust-to-weight ratio. All this makes it possible to accelerate an aircraft weighing 18,000 kg to a speed 2.5 times higher than the speed of sound. The F-15 Eagle made its first flight back in 1976, but it is still considered an important part of the US Air Force weapons and will remain in service until 2025. The Americans delivered 1,200 copies of these aircraft to their closest allies: Japan, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The current plans of the American command to continue the production of these machines, until 2019.

Initially, this aircraft was conceived as a means of gaining air superiority, but then a modification of the F-15E Strike Eagle was released, which can already be attributed to fighter-bombers. This machine can take on board Sparrow, Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, additional fuel tanks or aircraft bombs. To do this, the F-15E Strike Eagle has 11 suspension points. In addition, this aircraft is armed with a 20mm M61A1 Vulcan rapid-fire cannon. Not surprisingly, this aircraft has more than 100 confirmed victories in air combat.

7. MiG-31 | 3463.92 km/h

This aircraft can reach Mach 2.83. It has two powerful engines, which allowed the aircraft to develop supersonic speeds both at high and low altitudes. On the MiG-31 passive and active radar systems were installed, four such machines could control a front 900 kilometers long. MiG-31 was armed with:

• automatic 23 mm gun;
• four R-33 heavy air-to-air missiles or six R-37s;
• air-to-air missiles of medium or long range or special missiles for high-speed targets.

The production of this machine was stopped in 1994 and it is not known exactly how many aircraft were made. Presumably, these are 400-500 cars.

6. XB-70 Valkyrie | 3672 km/h

XB-70 Valkyrie is a unique aircraft and another brainchild " cold war". Its six engines were supposed to accelerate an aircraft weighing 240 tons to a speed of Mach 3. As a result of this speed, the aircraft structure in some places heated up to 330 ° C. The aircraft needed such a high speed in order to evade Soviet interceptors and, most importantly, to avoid the consequences of a nuclear explosion. After all, the XB-70 Valkyrie is a strategic bomber designed to deliver nuclear weapons. The huge size of the aircraft allowed it to lift enough fuel to fly into the territory of the USSR at a distance of 6900 kilometers and return back without refueling in the air. The aircraft could carry 14 nuclear bombs. The first flight of the XB-70 was made in 1964, two aircraft were built.

5. Bell X-2 Starbuster | 3911.9 km/h

BellX-2- This is an experimental American aircraft that was created to study the conditions of flight at high speeds. The first flight of the machine took place in 1954, and two years later the program was terminated. It was on this aircraft that we studied how the aircraft behaves at speeds above Mach 2. It was on this aircraft that an incredible speed of Mach 3.196 was achieved at that time, however, after reaching this speed, the pilot made a sharp maneuver and the aircraft went out of control. After this incident, the program was terminated.

4. MiG-25 | 3916.8 km/h

MiG-25 was created to intercept American reconnaissance aircraft, such as the SR-71, flying at high altitudes at relatively low speeds. To be able to perform such tasks, the MiG-25 had unique characteristics: the aircraft's speed was 3.2 times the speed of sound, it could hit targets at an altitude of up to 25 kilometers. None of the MiG-25s ever shot down the SR-71, but these machines performed well in several conflicts, for example, in the Iran-Iraq war. The MiG-25 was armed with 4 air-to-air missiles. This aircraft is still in operation in several countries. In total, approximately 1100 cars were built.

3. Lockheed YF-12 | 4100.4 km/h

YF-12 was developed as a prototype aircraft that can reach speeds of 3.35 the speed of sound. His appearance it is no different from the SR-71 Blackbird, except that the YF-12 is armed with three air-to-air missiles. It was this aircraft that served as the prototype for the creation of the SR-71 Blackbird. In addition, both of these aircraft were developed by the same designer - the famous Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. The program was soon terminated, but this aircraft remained forever in the history of aviation, as the owner of several titles, which, however, were soon taken away from it by the SR-71 Blackbird.

2.SR-71 Blackbird | 4102.8 km/h

After testing, this aircraft was used by both the US Air Force and NASA. The military used the Blackbird as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft, while NASA used it for research purposes. The first flight SR-71 Blackbird made in 1964. A total of 32 cars were produced. They were actively used for espionage against the USSR, Cuba and other countries. The SR-71 Blackbird was the first aircraft to use stealth technology. But the main defense of the aircraft was its speed: it easily avoided interceptors and missiles. The main problem in its creation was the high temperature to which the aircraft warmed up in flight. The SR-71 requires special fuel and can only be refueled in flight.

1. North American X-15 | 8200.8 km/h

It is the fastest manned aircraft in the world. His maximum speed Mach 6.7. It was built for research work for the study of hypersonic manned flights. X-15 It has rocket engine, it starts from the board strategic bomber. This aircraft has already reached an altitude of 107 km, a speed of Mach 6.7 and has completed a suborbital space flight. The plane lands on its own, at the bottom of a dried-up lake.

Planes that break the sound barrier

It would seem that relatively recently man created an airplane. Since that time, its design has undergone numerous changes. The first air machines could develop a small speed. What can not be said about modern.

Introduction

Models of passenger aircraft develop significant speed. For some of them, it reaches 900 km / h. Only a jet fighter can overtake them in airspace.

Interesting fact! The fastest plane in the world can circle the entire globe in 5 hours.

New aircraft modifications fly at supersonic speeds. With their help, the duration of the trip is significantly reduced. Constantly traveling tourists try to minimize the time spent on flights. Therefore, in choosing an aircraft, they prefer high-speed aircraft. Let's try to figure out which are the fastest planes in the world, and what speed they develop.

Top 10

10th place: Tu-144

It is considered the fastest passenger aircraft in the post-Soviet space. Its design was developed in the 60s. The aircraft first flew in 1968. A year later, its designers have upgraded some of the technical characteristics. And since 1969, the aircraft could overcome the bar of supersonic speed - 2500 km / h.

It should be noted that the Tu-144 has practically no competitors in certain operational and technical specifications. Despite this, its use in passenger airlines has become unprofitable. Therefore, the aircraft began to be operated for government purposes.

9th place: Su-27

The aircraft is a development of OKB im. Sukhoi. It is a versatile fighter. Its maximum flight speed reaches 2876 km/h. Jet thrust is created by two engines.

Interesting! The aircraft has been in service with the Russian Federation for 35 years.

8th place: McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

American made fighter. Its design was developed in the 70s. It can reach speeds up to 2650 km/h. This aircraft has quite interesting story. It was used in military operations in Yugoslavia and other states. According to statistics, the F-15 will not leave its position in the ranking until 2025. It is effectively exploited not only by the Americans, but also by the Arabs and the Japanese.

7th place: MiG-31

This is a combat aircraft. domestic production. Its design was developed in 1975. It is a two-seat fighter-interceptor. Its maximum speed reaches 3500 km/h. Compared to the previous model, this figure is increased by almost 400 km/h.

MiG-31 features:

• the ability to develop supersonic speeds both at low and high altitudes;
• the ability to transport missiles of the R-33 or R-37 class;
• combat gun caliber 23 mm.

The production of these aircraft has already ceased. They were released about 500 units. They were designed to operate in any conditions. Therefore, after the release, the model was put into service with the USSR, and after the Russian Federation.

6th place: F-111 General Dynamics

This is a tactical bomber. It has been in service with the United States Air Force since 1998. It's relative new model, which develops speed up to 3060 km / h.

F111 can transport the following types of weapons:

• 9 air-to-air missiles;
• 14.3 tons of bombs;
• multi-barrel guns.

A feature of the aircraft is the ability to change the sweep of the wing.

5th place: Valkyrie XB-70

This is a North American bomber. It can fly at an altitude of 21 km. The maximum speed of the aircraft of this model reaches 3187 km/h. The design was developed in the 60s. Everything was assembled by two units of XB-70. On tests, they developed a speed of 3250 km / h.

Such speed was needed in order to get away from Soviet interceptors. During the Cold War, with the help of such a machine they planned to transport nuclear weapons.

4th place: BellX-2

This is an experimental model that was created specifically to study the conditions of flying at high speeds. The aircraft first flew in 1954. But after a few years, the research program was closed, and the production of models as well.

This happened due to the fact that during the tests the plane got out of control. The reason for this was a sharp maneuver that the pilot made. At the same time, the speed jet aircraft reached 3196 km / h.

3rd place: MiG-25

This domestically produced aircraft was created specifically for the interception of American reconnaissance models of the SR-71 model. The latter fly at fairly high altitudes.

Characteristics of the MiG-25:

• speed - 3.2 speeds of sound;
• flight altitude - 25 km;
• ability to transport military weapons.

These air vehicles were effectively used in military operations during the Iran-Iraq war.

Note! MiG-25 is the fastest fighter in the world.

Analogues of such an aircraft have not yet been created.

2nd place: SR-71

The model was designed by American scientists. The first flight was made in 1964. For all time, 32 SR-71 aircraft have been produced. Its maximum speed reaches 4102.8 km/h.

The aircraft was used by the United States Air Force for research purposes. It has also been effectively operated by NASA. The main advantage of the machine is its ability to quickly move away from missiles and interceptors.

1st place: X-43A and X15

X-43A set a speed record - up to 11850 km / h. In fact, this is the fastest aircraft. But it was originally developed as a drone. It was released in several copies.

Its advantage is the ability to launch from the wing of another aircraft. He can also develop high speed in a matter of seconds. The record for maximum speed was recorded by the Guinness book.

Due to the fact that the previous model is a drone, the first place can be given to the X-15. It is the fastest supersonic aircraft. It develops speed up to 8201 km/h. It is worth considering that such a device can rightfully be considered a space ship. It can fly at an altitude of 107 km.

X-43
X-15

A bit of history

There were two passenger aircraft in the world that could reach supersonic speed. The first of them is in 10th place in our rating - Tu-144. The second is Concorde. This is a French aircraft. It was effectively operated by British Airways and Air France. In the fleet of each of them there were 7 units of this model.

1. MiG-25 3.2M

Soviet single-seat supersonic high-altitude interceptor designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau.
The legendary aircraft, on which several world records were set, including the speed record, however, as usual in the USSR, they kept silent about a lot. According to General Designer R.A. Belyakov, the MiG exceeding the speed of M = 3 reduced the life of the airframe, but did not lead to damage to the aircraft or engine. according to familiar pilots, the aircraft repeatedly crossed the threshold of 3.5M, but such a record was not officially recorded.
On September 6, 1976, the MiG-25 aircraft was hijacked by Soviet Air Force pilot Viktor Belenko to Japan. The plane was returned, but before that it was dismantled to the screw. The new aircraft were modified and received the MiG-25PD index, all in service were modernized and awarded the MiG-25PDS index.
Belenko fired a pistol at the Hakodate airport, preventing the “Japs” from approaching the MiG, demanded that the plane be covered, but the commission investigating the incident concluded that the flight was deliberate, although without obvious treasonous goals.

2. Lockheed SR-71 3.2M

US Air Force strategic supersonic reconnaissance aircraft. Unofficially named "Blackbird". The aircraft became famous for its unreliability, 12 out of 32 existing aircraft were lost in 34 years.
The main maneuver of the aircraft when avoiding missiles was to climb and accelerate. In 1976, the SR-71 "Blackbird" set the absolute speed record among manned aircraft with ramjet engines - 3529.56 km / h

3. MiG-31 2.82M

two-seat supersonic all-weather long-range fighter-interceptor. The first Soviet combat aircraft of the fourth generation. The MiG-31 is designed to intercept and destroy air targets at low, extremely low, medium and high altitudes, day and night, in simple and difficult weather conditions, when the enemy uses active and passive radar interference, as well as heat traps. A group of four MiG-31 aircraft is capable of controlling airspace with a frontal length of 800-900 km.
Maximum allowable speed at altitude: 3000 km / h (2.82 M)

4. McDonnell-Douglas F-15 "Eagle" 2.5M

American all-weather tactical fighter of the fourth generation. Designed to gain air superiority. Adopted in 1976.
Maximum speed at high altitude: 2650 km/h (Mach 2.5+)

5. General Dynamics F-111 2.5M

two-seat long-range tactical bomber, tactical support aircraft with variable wing geometry.
Maximum speed: at altitude: 2655 km/h (Mach 2.5)

6. Su-24 2.4M

Soviet front-line bomber with a variable-swept wing, designed to deliver missile and bomb strikes in simple and difficult weather conditions, day and night, including at low altitudes with targeted destruction of ground and surface targets. According to familiar pilots, the aircraft is equipped with an autopilot system capable of controlling the aircraft at ultra-low altitudes, holding, for example, 120 meters above the ground, however, not many pilots could mentally withstand the work of the autopilot, the aircraft at high speed was approaching the rise of the earth's surface, rocks, etc. d. and exactly at a distance of 120 meters did a climb maneuver.

7. Grumman F-14 Tomcat 2.37M

Jet interceptor, fighter-bomber of the fourth generation, with variable wing geometry. Developed in the 1970s to replace the Phantoms.

8. Su-27 2.35M

Soviet multipurpose highly maneuverable all-weather fighter developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and designed to gain air supremacy.
Thanks to the thrust vector control, the aircraft is able to perform miracles, "Cobra" and "Frolov's Chakra". Such figures aerobatics show the ability to keep the aircraft from stalling at angles of attack exceeding the critical one.

9. MiG-23 2.35M

Soviet multirole fighter with variable sweep wing. MiG-23 fighters participated in many armed conflicts of the 1980s
Maximum allowable speed, km/h 2.35M

10. Grumman F-14D Tomcat 2.34M

The F-14D modification differed from the previous ones with a more powerful Hughes AN / APG-71 radar, the system allows tracking 24 targets and capturing and launching missiles at 6 of them simultaneously, at different altitudes and ranges, improved avionics and a converted cockpit. In total, 37 aircraft of this type were built, another 104 were converted from previously released F-14As, they had the designation F-14D

Passenger aircraft, as a rule, cannot boast of high-speed characteristics. Compared to fighters, they are real snails. And although the speed of passenger liners usually ranges from 800 to 1100 km / h, some unique airliners can be supersonic. At that speed, they can get people from New York to London in about three hours. In this review, a story about the world's fastest passenger aircraft.

1. Hawker-Siddeley Trident HS.121 2

maximum speed 973 km/h
The British aircraft Hawker-Siddeley Trident or simply "Trident" made a real revolution in air traffic. It was operated from the 1960s to the 1990s.

2 Gulfstream G650

maximum speed 981 km/h
The twin-engine business jet is an upgraded version of the popular Gulfstream G550. It can reach a top speed of Mach 0.925 and the G650 has a range of 13,900 km.

3 Boeing 7478

maximum speed 988 km/h
Boeing 747 8 is the longest passenger aircraft in the world. Its length is 76.25 m, and its wingspan is 68.45 m. At a speed of 988 km/h, it can fly 14,100 km.

4. Convair 880

maximum speed 989 km/h
The Convair 880 jet airliner developed by General Dynamics was produced for only 3 years (65 units were produced in 1959-1962). Due to its low popularity, it was discontinued despite being considered the fastest airliner of its time.

5 Boeing 777

maximum speed 1036 km/h
Boeing 777 is considered one of the best airliners in the world today. These aircraft are equipped with the most powerful engines for passenger liners.

6 Boeing 787

maximum speed 1049 km/h
Boeing announced the development of the 787 Dreamliner in 2003. Designed as a wide-body long-range airliner, the 787 can reach speeds of up to 1,049 km/h.

7. Dassault Falcon 900 EX

maximum speed 1065 km/h
The French Dassault Falcon 900 EX is a corporate jet capable of transcontinental flights. Its design is notable for the fact that the Falcon 900 EX has three rear-mounted jet engines.

8 Bombardier Global 6000

maximum speed 1097 km/h
The Bombardier Global 6000 is an ultra-long range executive aircraft. It allows any entrepreneur to quickly travel the world and easily get to the right place at speeds up to 1097 km/h.

9. Dassault Falcon 7X

maximum speed 1110 km/h
This business jet was developed from the Falcon 900 and is designed to travel around the world in style and comfort. It is 2 such Canadian-made aircraft that are used in Russia to transport higher officials states.

10 Airbus A380

maximum speed 1087 km/h
Designed in Europe, the Airbus A380 is a high-performance, double-deck, long-range airliner. It is considered the world's largest passenger aircraft.

11 Cessna Citation X

maximum speed 1126 km/h
Another favorite business jet is the Cessna Citation X. It is a turbofan, twin-engine, long-haul mid-range business jet. Citation X is operated by both individuals and companies.

12 Cessna Citation X+

maximum speed 1153 km/h
This is an improved model of the previous aircraft. The Citation X+ has received significant improvements, as well as a much more powerful engine. Today this aircraft is the fastest civil and business aircraft.

13. Concorde

maximum speed 2179 km/h
The Concorde was a supersonic marvel of its time as it traveled twice the speed of sound. The Concorde was primarily used by wealthy people for fast air travel in an atmosphere of luxury. However, despite the aircraft having been in service for decades, the Concorde was discontinued in 2003.

14. Boom Supersonic

maximum speed 2335 km/h
Boom Supersonic is currently under development. It is a supersonic commercial airliner capable of Mach 2.2 or 2,335 km/h. However, unlike the Concorde, the Boom Supersonic will be a low-cost airliner for all passengers, not just the wealthy.

15. Tupolev TU 144

maximum speed 2430 km/h
The Tupolev TU 144 was the first supersonic aircraft in the world developed by the USSR Soviets, and immediately after it came the Concorde. Although this aircraft was removed from commercial use, the Russian space program used it for training purposes until 1999.

Today, airplanes are gradually turning into individual transport. Recently appeared.

From the point of view of world history, a person has just learned to fly, but significant progress has been made in this direction: aviation has become the safest mode of transport, the cost of flights is becoming more affordable for the population, and the fastest plane in the world can fly around the planet in 5 hours around the equator! Latest achievements science and technology are embodied in civil and military aviation, the development of aircraft construction does not stop for a second. Speed ​​has always excited a person, excited the blood. In the sky, nothing prevents you from accelerating properly, and the human genius has managed to create a lot of high-speed aircraft.

The fastest passenger plane in the world

The fastest aircraft in civil aviation is the Soviet TU-144, whose maximum speed is 2430 km / h. Its development took place in the 60s, and the first flight was carried out on the eve of the New Year - December 31, 1968. Wikipedia reports that in this way the Soviet designers from the Tupolev bureau were 2 months ahead of the world premiere of the famous French Concorde. Five months later, at the beginning of June 1969, the Tu-144 conquered a new peak - at an altitude of 11 kilometers it developed a speed that exceeded the speed of sound. In total, 16 supersonic "carcasses" were built, in total more than two and a half thousand sorties were completed.

There were tragic moments in the biography of the supersonic TU-144. In June 1973, an aviation exhibition was held in France, which was attended by the brainchild of Tupolev Design Bureau. Performing a demonstration flight, the Russian aircraft performed an excessively sharp maneuver, which caused its fall and the subsequent death of 6 crew members, as well as 8 people on the ground. The exact cause of the tragedy was not established, according to one version, the pilots from the USSR were confused by the appearance of the French Mirage, the purpose of which was to take a few photos. According to another version, while recording a documentary video in the cockpit, the commander of the ship, Major General V.N. Benderov dropped the camera and it jammed the steering column, which led to a fall.

The transportation of passengers using the TU-144 was unprofitable due to the high costs of servicing and refueling the aircraft. The country's leadership had to draw conclusions about the need to suspend the transportation of citizens by supersonic. The fastest passenger aircraft in the world for many years was the French Concorde, which transported more than 2 million people.

Hypersonic aircraft now predominate in military aviation, Russia, as the successor to the USSR, is also represented in the ranking of high-speed aircraft.

Top 10 fastest planes in the world

10th place: Su-27.

Soviet, and later Russian universal fighter, developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. Wikipedia gives its adapted name used in NATO countries - Russian Flanker-B, which can be roughly translated as "Russian strike from the flank." A supersonic aircraft can exceed Mach speed by 2.5 times, reaching an incredible 2876 km/h.

For the first time in the history of the aircraft industry in Russia, a remote control system was introduced, and two engines create jet thrust. Up to ten air-to-air missiles can be suspended at special points on the fuselage, they are provided with combat support by a stationary 30-mm cannon. On the this moment several modern modifications of the Sukhoi aircraft were created, it is in the service Russian Air Force for over 35 years now.

9th place: F-111 General Dynamics.

Tactical bomber in the service of the US Air Force until 1998. Able to accelerate in the sky up to 3060 km / h. When the first photos and videos of this aircraft were seen by the military, someone aptly joked, calling this aircraft an "anteater" for the elongated shape of the cockpit and its characteristic slope. This playful nickname stuck. Despite the cute name, the F-111 was a formidable carrier of deadly weapons:

• up to 14.3 tons of portable bombs;
• up to 9 air-to-air missiles, quickly mounted on special points;
• multi-barreled cannon with a high rate of fire.

The main advantage of the Anteater was the ability to change the sweep of the wing for the first time.

8th place: F-15 Eagle McDonnell Douglas.

A real American hit air force, still faithfully serves the US military. It can reach speeds of up to 3065 kilometers per hour and currently has more than a hundred officially confirmed victories in air battles. He began his biography in 1976, when the first flight was made. According to the plan of the military leadership of the United States, it will be in active service with the country until 2025. Initially conceived to intercept enemy aircraft and create an advantage in the airspace. But the Strike modification turned the F-15 Eagle into a bomber as well. Armed with 11 missiles for air combat, a high-speed cannon of 20 mm caliber.

7th place: MiG-31.

Another representative of Soviet supersonic aircraft. It is capable of developing up to 3463 km/h, and its two powerful engines allow it to fly at hypersonic speeds both at low and high altitudes above the ground. In total, about 500 of these machines were produced, production was discontinued in 1994. Rocket equipment was quite serious:

• four R-33 (heavy) class missiles to engage targets in the air;
• or 6 lighter rockets of the R-37 class.

Combat support was provided by an automatic cannon with a caliber of 23 mm and a high rate of fire.

6th place: Valkyrie XB-70.

According to mythology, the Valkyrie delivered the souls of the soldiers who died in battle to Valhalla, and sometimes God alone allowed her to decide the outcome of the battle. This aircraft is also endowed with such functions - it could decide the outcome of the Cold War, if it went into a hot phase. Its wild hypersonic speed of 3672 km / h would allow it to break away from Soviet fighters, and its fuel supply would allow it to fly into the territory of the Soviet Union at a distance of up to 7 thousand km. and return without refueling. The strategic task of this death machine was the delivery of nuclear bombs and the destruction of ground targets. As conceived by the designers, the speed of the XB-70 was supposed to be greater than the speed of propagation of the shock and light waves from a nuclear explosion. This Cold War monster was released in the amount of 2 copies.

5th place: Starbuster Bell X-2.

The maximum acceleration of this car was 3912 km / h. It was built as part of an experimental American program after World War II. At the time of its first flight in 1954, it was the fastest aircraft in the world. The test failed. High speed was achieved, but the pilot performed an excessively sharp maneuver, and the car lost control. After this unsuccessful test, the program was frozen.

4th place: MiG-25.

The second representative of the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the ranking of the fastest jet aircraft. The main task that the military set before the designers was the ability to intercept the American sr-71 blackbird and any other manned and unmanned aerial vehicles which flew relatively slowly. In real conditions, not a single "Blackbird" was shot down by "twenty-fifth", but the car has proven itself in several local conflicts - such as the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, etc.

The MiG-25 is armed with four air-to-air missiles and is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 25 km! In total, about 1000 aircraft of this type were built, many of the models are still in service with various armies of the world.

The three fastest planes on the planet

3rd place: YF-12 Lockheed.

The highest speed of the aircraft was 4100.4 km / h, so he successfully coped with the task conceived for him - to reach Mach 3.35. It was the YF-12 that became the prototype of the famous Blackbird. Clarence Johnson was commissioned to develop both the YF-12 and the SR-71. Outwardly, these machines are very similar, the only difference is that Lockheed is armed with three air-to-air missiles. To date, the Lockheed YF-12 remains the largest manned aircraft designed to intercept targets in the air.

2nd place: SR-71 Blackbird.

This aircraft was used for research purposes by NASA scientists and for reconnaissance by the US military. The aerial reconnaissance aircraft first flew in 1964. The innovative highlight of the machine was the use of Stels technology, which made it inaccessible to numerous interceptors. It is the fastest military aircraft in the world, reaching an incredible 4102.8 km/h. "Blackbird" collected intelligence over Cuba, Soviet Union and other countries using its superior speed. Throughout history, 32 "thrushes" have been designed and produced.

1st place: X-15 North American.

Leading the "top 10" is the fastest supersonic aircraft that can gain fantastic speed - 8201 km / h! This machine does not take off from airfields - its launch is carried out from a bomber in the air. The X-15 is practically a manned spacecraft, as it has already reached an altitude of 107 km and made a suborbital flight. It was designed as part of the program for the study of supersonic flight. Landing given aircraft can independently, the landing strip is the flat bottom of a dried-up salt lake.

Having answered the question of what is the fastest aircraft in the world, we must mention another experimental model developed by specialists from the US National Space Agency. In fact, the fastest aircraft is the Kh-43A, which can fly at speeds up to 11,850 km/h! The test of this aircraft was first carried out in 2001 and ended in failure - the plane fell apart in the air. The second time this aircraft was tested 3 years later, in 2004 - this time the flight was successful. The speed of this fastest aircraft in the world would rightfully guarantee it the top spot in the ranking, but the catch is that the X-43A is a high-speed drone, and our top 10 included only manned vehicles.