Guys, a simple question for you

[Paul Weinstock]

Hey, sorry I do not know a lot about flight. Does someone could tell me, please. What is the fastest aircraft right know?

Paul Weinstock

[harleyman]

Here Paul Welcome...

SR-71 Blackbird (http://www.aviationtrivia.info/Lockheed-SR-71-Blackbird.php) 2,293 mph world speed record. The fastest jet aircraft in the world.

[Matt Wynn]

depends if he means prototypes included, then its the Hyper-X.... if so:

Hyper X 7,368 mph fastest unmanned aircraft (thats mach 9.68)

[Z-PurpleBubble]

Hey, sorry I do not know a lot about flight. Does someone could tell me, please. What is the fastest aircraft right know?

Paul Weinstock
Hey Paul,

if you're talking about fastest manned operational aircraft around, then harleyman is right.

But fast isn't necessarily fun though!! ;)

PB

[Matt Wynn]

But fast isn't necessarily fun though!!

i've heard that before, but SR-71 is retired isn't it, as is the MiG-25 'foxbat'... so does the space shuttle count? if not that'd make the F-15 the fastest operational aircraft wouldn't it? F-15's max design speed is M2.5...

[Kiwikat]

Here Paul Welcome...

SR-71 Blackbird (http://www.aviationtrivia.info/Lockheed-SR-71-Blackbird.php) 2,293 mph world speed record. The fastest jet aircraft in the world.





The SR71 is fascinating. Last year at Airventure I listened to a former SR pilot talk about his missions and the aircraft. It is amazing how they operated them with such secrecy and accuracy at the same time. The SR pilots were the best of the best.

[Kiwikat]

... so does the space shuttle count?

I would say not. It is technically a spacecraft, not an aircraft. I looked it up earlier when the author first posted the question. I'm sure there's room for some debate over that though.:engel016:

[Matt Wynn]

yeah technically.... but i won't argue i know the fastest craft is the Helios Satellite orbiting the sun at mach 22+,

[gera]

Here Paul Welcome...

SR-71 Blackbird (http://www.aviationtrivia.info/Lockheed-SR-71-Blackbird.php) 2,293 mph world speed record. The fastest jet aircraft in the world.





Do you know that this bird "Bleeded" fuel through its skin????......a most strange and unique aircraft......its fuel was also unique!!!!a wonder of chemistry.....

[guzler]

How about the X-15 ?

That was a rocket powered aircraft wasn't it ?
That travelled much faster than Blackbird as far as I'm aware ?????

[Matt Wynn]

also retired.... but yeah was faster than the b'bird

[max_thehitman]

Faster than the SR-71 and manned plane would be the X-15.
Unmanned would be Project Aurora AND Hyper-X

[SkippyBing]

MiG-25 is certainly up there and faster in day to day service than the F-15.
Max continuous M2.8, max with an engine change M3.2. It's still in limited service with a number of operators.

The Blackbird leaked fuel on the ground as there was flex in the system to allow for expansion at operating speed and temperature.

[kilo delta]

Project Aurora



Shhhh.....

how do you know that it's unmanned?


:monkies: ;)

[kilo delta]

there was flex in the system to allow for expansion at operating speed and temperature.

The same deal as with Concorde....though the SR went a lil faster ;) :)

[SkippyBing]

Yeah, I remember reading a book on Kelly Johnson where they were talking about the planned American SST. The president of the time announced it was going to go M3.0 which Johnson knew would be massively impracticable as you'd then have all the problems they had with the Blackbird plus trying to carry pax.
By sticking to M2.0 Concorde didn't need to use large amounts of Titanium etc. and avoided having leaks in the fuel system which would make it very hard to certify as a commercial aircraft! I seem to remember it stretched about 6 inches in flight and used the fuel as a heat sink.

[Tako_Kichi]

Originally Posted by Smoothie http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/images/soh/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?p=160764#post160764)
... so does the space shuttle count?


I would say not. It is technically a spacecraft, not an aircraft. I looked it up earlier when the author first posted the question. I'm sure there's room for some debate over that though.:engel016:
I would suspect it might qualify as the world's largest/fastest glider after re-entry though!

[FAC257]

I tagged this site the other night for some odd reason that I can't remember. Guess I new a thread like this might pop up one day???? :)

A supposed list of the world's fastest jets.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread171272/pg1

Which leads to this site:
http://www.globalaircraft.org/top50.htm

FAC

[Shylock]

The wonder woman plane in my opinion is the fastest and coolest..... ;p

[Bjoern]

i've heard that before, but SR-71 is retired isn't it, as is the MiG-25 'foxbat'... so does the space shuttle count? if not that'd make the F-15 the fastest operational aircraft wouldn't it? F-15's max design speed is M2.5...

There's still some MiG-25s around and the VVS has some MiG-31s in service, which are both substantially faster than the F-15.

[cheezyflier]

what makes me snicker is the title of this thread.
no way people here could ever treat anything as a simple question
:costumes:

[tigisfat]

i've heard that before, but SR-71 is retired isn't it.....


There are a few SR-71s still utilized for research.

[Matt Wynn]

yeah theres a story i love about Conc, a captain put his hat between 2 bulkheads for storage during the flight, he went to get it after landing and couldn't as it'd shrank back and closed the gap, he had to wait till the return flight to collect his now flat cap... as for aurora, well speculation it may be but there is no stopgap between the SR-71 and satellites... aurora if it exists would be that stopgap.... at one point i was even working on my own manned HSRA (High Speed Reconaissance Aircraft), had the fuselage and fins done but it never progressed... heres a few pics of when i was working on it...

http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo264/IRIS-Matt/whaddyareckonnow.jpg

http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo264/IRIS-Matt/quickrender.jpg

[SkippyBing]

There are a few SR-71s still utilized for research.

I think the USAF stopped operating them in 1998 and NASA in 2001 unless anyone knows otherwise?

[Matt Wynn]

exactly what i heard Skippy... space shuttles retiring pretty soon as well, and russias 'Buran' (Snowstorm) was retired a long time back... might jump back on my 'SR-71 Fictional Replacement' start from scratch and have no canopy glass just a forward looking camera, although the glass might be good on it...

[jetstreamsky]

The same deal as with Concorde....though the SR went a lil faster ;) :)

Yes a little faster, but then it didn't have 100 passenger seats with wine and food service for the passengers in their Sunday best and didn't leak like a sieve on the ramp ;) :)

Both awesome aircraft that are sadly missing from the skies