The SR-71 Blackbird is the current record holder.

An air speed record is the highest speed attained by an aircraft of a particular class. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x2350, 4173 KB) SR-71B Blackbird, taken December 1994 from an in-flight refueling tanker SR-71B was the trainer version of the SR-71. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x2350, 4173 KB) SR-71B Blackbird, taken December 1994 from an in-flight refueling tanker SR-71B was the trainer version of the SR-71. ... The Lockheed SR-71 was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed YF-12A and A-12 aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works. ... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The rules for all official aviation records are defined by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), and they also ratify any claims. Speed records are divided into multiple classes with sub-divisions. There are three classes of aircraft: landplanes, seaplanes and amphibians; then within these classes, there are records for aircraft in several mass bands. There are still further sub-divisions for piston-engined, turbojet, turboprop and rocket-engined aircraft. Within each of these groups, records are defined for speed over a straight course and for closed circuits of various sizes carrying various payloads. There are still further records for the speed between specified cities such as London to New York. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) is a standard setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics and astronautics. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery. ... An amphibious or amphibian aircraft is an aircraft that can land on either land or water. ... Turbojets are the simplest and oldest kind of general purpose jet engine. ... A schematic diagram showing the operation of a turboprop engine. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... NY redirects here. ...

Timeline

Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912), the elder of the Wright brothers, seen as one of the fathers of heavier-than-air flight. ... The Wright Flyer (often retrospectively referred to as Flyer I and occasionally Kitty Hawk) was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright brothers. ... Kitty Hawk is a town located in Dare County, North Carolina. ... Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912), the elder of the Wright brothers, seen as one of the fathers of heavier-than-air flight. ... The Wright Flyer III in flight over Huffman Prairie. ... Henry Farman Henry Farman (May 26, 1874 - July 18, 1958) was a French aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. ... Louis Blériot Louis Blériot (July 1, 1872 – August 2, 1936) was a French inventor and engineer, who performed the first flight over a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft. ... Alfred Leblanc, was a French aviator who today is probably most famous for breaking the flight airspeed record in 1910 while flying the Blériot XI. His airspeed was calculated at 68. ... Blériot XI Designed by Louis Blériot and Raymond Saulnier (of Morane Saulnier) the Blériot XI was a light and sleek monoplane constructed of oak and poplar. ... SPAD S.VII The Société Pour LAviation et ses Dérivés, commonly known as SPAD, was a French aircraft manufacturer responsible for producing a number of significant fighter aircraft during World War I (WWI). ... Test pilot Roland Rohlfs (1892 - 1974) flew a hydro-aeroplane called the Dunkirk Fighter for Curtiss Airplane Company in 1918. ... William Mitchell refers to more than one historical figure: Billy Mitchell, father of the U.S. Air Force William A. Mitchell, corporate chemist responsible for Tang and Pop Rocks William D. Mitchell, U.S. Attorney General Sir William Mitchell, Oxford physicist who helped pioneer neutron scattering, and former scientific advisory... The Supermarine S.6B was a racing seaplane developed by Reginald Mitchell for the Supermarine company in order to win the Schneider Trophy in 1931. ... The seafront and beach at Lee-on-the-Solent. ... Francesco Agello (27 December 1902 - 26 November 1942) was an Italian test pilot. ... Macchi M.C.72. ... Francesco Agello (27 December 1902 - 26 November 1942) was an Italian test pilot. ... Macchi M.C.72. ... For the Welsh murderer, see Howard Hughes (murderer). ... H-1 Racer as it looked in 1935 The H-1 was a racing aircraft built by Howard Hughes company in 1935. ... The Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch, was the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft during the Second World War. ... Peenemündes position in Germany Peenemünde is a village in the northeast of the German island of Usedom. ... The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German: Swallow) was the worlds first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. ... The Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch, was the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft during the Second World War. ... The Gloster Meteor was the Allies first operational jet fighter. ... Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, England around six and a half miles north of Canterbury, and part of the City of Canterbury local government district. ... The Gloster Meteor was the Allies first operational jet fighter. ... Littlehampton is a town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex on the south coast of England. ... The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first operational jet fighter used by the United States Army Air Forces and, as the F-80, saw extensive combat in Korea with the United States Air Force. ... Charles Yeager Charles Elwood Chuck Yeager (born on February 13, 1923, in Lincoln County, West Virginia) is an American former general officer in the United States Air Force and a noted test pilot. ... The Bell X-1, originally XS-1 was the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in controlled, level flight. ... F-86 Sabre at Oshkosh, 2003 The first proposals for the North American Aviation F-86 Sabre were made in 1944, but construction was not begun until after World War II. The XP-86 prototype, which would become the F-86 Sabre, first flew on October 1, 1947. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... Test Pilot - Neville Dukes autobiography Squadron Leader Neville Duke (January 11, 1922 - April 7, 2007), AFC, DFC and two Bars, DSO, OBE was a World War II fighter pilot. ... Sixteen Hunters of the RAF Black Arrows perform aerobatics at the Farnborough Air Show, England. ... Littlehampton is a town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex on the south coast of England. ... F-100A Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a jet fighter aircraft that served with the USAF from 1954 to 1971 and with the ANG until 1979. ... Motto: Aerospace Capital of America Location of Palmdale in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles  - Mayor James C. Ledford Jr. ... Lionel Peter Twiss (born 23 July 1921) OBE DSC and bar is a British pilot, who held the World Air Speed Record. ... The Fairey Delta 2 or FD2 was a British supersonic research aircraft produced in response to a specification from the Ministry of Supply for investigation into flight and control at transonic and supersonic speeds. ... Statistics Population: 25,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SU865045 Administration District: Chichester Shire county: West Sussex Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Sussex Historic county: Sussex Services Police force: Sussex Police Fire and rescue: West Sussex Ambulance: South East Coast... The Lockheed YF-12 was a prototype interceptor aircraft, one of several variants of the CIAs highly-secret A-12 OXCART that also spawned the now-famous USAF SR-71 Blackbird. ... Edwards Air Force Base (IATA: EDW, ICAO: KEDW) is a United States Air Force airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 7 miles (11 km) due east of Rosamond. ... The Lockheed SR-71 was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed YF-12A and A-12 aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works. ... Beale Air Force Base is a base located in Yuba County, California. ...

Official records versus unofficial

The SR-71 "Blackbird" holds the official Air Speed Record for a manned airbreathing jet aircraft with a speed of 3,529.56 km/h (2,188 mph). It was capable of taking off and landing unassisted on conventional runways. The record was set on 28 July 1976 by Eldon W. Joersz near Beale Air Force Base, California, USA.^[2] The Lockheed SR-71, unofficially known as the Blackbird, is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft by Lockheeds Skunk works, which was also responsible for the U-2 and many other advanced aircraft. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

However for many people the term 'air speed record' implies simply the fastest aircraft. Other aircraft have flown faster without breaking the official air speed record. This is because they do not comply with FAI rules. For example, experimental high-speed aircraft are often unable to take off under their own power, and require a carrier aircraft. Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

For a period of time, during and immediately following World War II, the unpublicised absolute speed record of 1004.5 km/h (623.8 mph) set by the Messerschmitt Me 163A third prototype rocket aircraft, on October 2, 1941 was actually the fastest velocity any aircraft had been measured as traveling to that time. That figure, set during wartime, was achieved by the Me 163 A V3 in an essentially air-launched mode, as it was towed behind a Bf 110 from the ground to altitude, to set the record. Many record attempts were stated as being "set" after World War II by such aircraft as the Gloster Meteor, claiming to have exceeded the 755 km/h (469 mph) velocity record of the Messerschmitt Me 209 V1 piston engined aircraft, but none of these so-called "records" actually exceeded the Me 163 A V3's figure, until the Douglas Skystreak did so on August 20, 1947. The Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch, was the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft during the Second World War. ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (later Me 110) was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber and night fighter operations, and it became the major night fighter type of the Luftwaffe. ... The Gloster Meteor was the Allies first operational jet fighter. ... Messerschmitts designation Me 209 was actually used for two separate projects during World War II. The first, described below, was a record-setting single-engined race plane for which little or no consideration was given to adaptation for combat. ... The Douglas Skystreak (the D-558-1) was designed in 1945 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

The Space Shuttle is the fastest aircraft, but it is unable to take off solely under its own power, requiring two solid rocket boosters during its ascent to orbit. During its ascent through the atmosphere the Shuttle's airspeed is under Mach 2. However, during re-entry it flies into the atmosphere at 17,500 miles per hour because of its residual orbital velocity, making it easily the fastest manned aircraft (in this case a glider). NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... The Space Shuttle is initially launched with the help of solid-fuel boosters A Solid rocket or a solid fuel rocket is a rocket with a motor that uses solid propellants (fuel/oxidizer). ... m. ... Gliders or Sailplanes are heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight. ...

The Boeing X-43A is the fastest air-breathing aircraft, having set a speed record of 11,200 km/h (7,000 mph), or Mach 9.68, on November 16, 2004. However, it is unmanned, and relies on a carrier aircraft to reach altitude, and a discardable booster rocket to reach the operating speed of its scramjet engine. It is incapable of landing. NASA technicians working on the X-43A at the tip of a Pegasus rocket attached to a Boeing B-52B prior to launch (March 27, 2004) The X-43 is an unmanned experimental hypersonic aircraft design with multiple planned scale variations meant to test different aspects of highly supersonic flight. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... X-43A with scramjet attached to the underside at Mach 7 A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is a variation of a ramjet where the flow of the air and combustion of the fuel air mixture through the engine happen at supersonic speeds. ...

The rocket-powered X-15 was the fastest powered, manned aircraft, reaching a top speed of 7,274 km/h (4,510 mph) on October 3, 1967. However, it was a rocket-powered test aircraft incapable of taking off from the ground and was launched at altitude from a carrier aircraft and operated at the margins of the atmosphere. Description Role: Research Aircraft Crew: one, pilot Dimensions Length: 50. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

The Republic Aviation Company XF-84H Thunderscreech was an experimental American-built turboprop aircraft based on the the F-84F Thunderstreak. ... William Joseph Pete Knight (November 18, 1929 - May 8, 2004) was a U.S. politician, combat pilot, and test pilot. ... The X-15 in flight, early 1960s The North American X-15 rocket plane was perhaps the most important of the USAF/USN X-series of experimental aircraft, after only possibly the Bell X-1. ... A rocket plane is an aircraft that uses a rocket for propulsion, sometimes in addition to jet engines. ... An F/A-18 Hornet breaking the sound barrier. ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... The Westland Lynx is a helicopter designed by Westland and built at Westlands factory in Yeovil, first flying on 21 March 1971 as the Westland WG.13. ... NASA technicians working on the X-43A at the tip of a Pegasus rocket attached to a Boeing B-52B prior to launch (March 27, 2004) The X-43 is an unmanned experimental hypersonic aircraft design with multiple planned scale variations meant to test different aspects of highly supersonic flight. ... Boeing X-43 at Mach 7 In aerodynamics, hypersonic speeds are speeds that are highly supersonic. ... X-43A with scramjet attached to the underside at Mach 7 A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is a variation of a ramjet where the flow of the air and combustion of the fuel air mixture through the engine happen at supersonic speeds. ...

Reference

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ...

External links

• web site of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)
• Speed records time line