In the aviation sector, how fast a plane can fly is not mere numbers; it’s a zenith of innovation, a symbol of the aviators’ fascination with and perseverance in pushing their boundaries. In this lightning-speed chase, what stands out as a pinnacle of the technological prowess of the modern era is the NASA X-43A—the world’s fastest plane by now.
Symbolic of human’s unquenchable thirst to achieve speed while flying in the sky, the world’s fastest planes are not just engineering splendours; they mirror the years of endeavour of humans to reign in the skies, reaching new horizons of flight capabilities.
In this fin-tastic article, we will have a comprehensive overview of the world’s fastest plane.
Image Source: Aero Corner
World’s Fastest Plane
Once part of the futuristic fantasy – chasing the sky with lightning-speed aircraft – is already here. Aviation has evolved radically since the Wright brothers took to the sky with the world’s first-ever controlled aircraft – The Wright Flyer. Now in 2024, we have rounded up a list of the fastest planes in the world:
The NASA X-43
Nasa’s brain-child, the NASA X-43, was the first and second successful flight powered by scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet). It tops the list of the fastest jet in the world, soaring through the sky with hypersonic speeds – speeds over Mach 5. Even more striking, it achieved a ground-breaking velocity of Mach 9.6, around 7,000 miles per hour, which translates into ten times the speed of sound speed, during its test flight in March 2004.
The 43-A, the first of the series of three planes, is a single-use vehicle launched from a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress on November 16, 2004. It was on top of a winged booster rocket that, after bringing 43A to its hypersonic speed, was discarded.
One of the planes of the NASA X 43 series was destroyed during the test period, while the other two flew for 10 seconds, glided for the next 10 minutes, and crashed into the ocean.
It was an unmanned experimental aircraft designed to test the performance of hypersonic flight powered by a scramjet engine – a type of ramjet airbreathing jet engine that combusts airflow at a supersonic speed.
The successful launch and experiment with the NASA X 43 paved the way for using high speed to bring the world closer by reducing global travel time.
North American X-15
With a speed of Mach 6.72, which is approximately 4,520 mph (7,274 km/h), the North American X-15 comes second to the NASA X 43A. It’s the first piloted aircraft with hypersonic rocket-powered engines ever traversing the edge of outer space. As part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft, the X-15 flew at altitudes over 350,000 feet. The North American X-15 was also a research-purpose aircraft that paved the way for the development of future high-speed aircraft.
Lockheed SR-72
Also known as “Son of Blackbird,” the Lockheed Martin SR-72 is another fastest aircraft in the world manufactured by Lockheed Martin – a leading American defence and aerospace manufacturer. Designed to be unmanned, this American hypersonic aerial vehicle is expected to reach a speed of Mach 6 (approximately 4,603 mph or 7,408 km/h). Built on the legacy of its predecessor, Lockheed SR-71, this hypersonic UAV is expected to be able to fly by 2025 and be taken to the sky by the 2030s. It was proposed back in 2013 and is meant to be used for surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance (ISR), and strike missions. It’s operated on a scramjet for hypersonic speed and a classic turbofan jet engine for lower speeds.
MiG-31 Foxhound
With a top speed of Mach of 3.5, translating into ~2,685 mph or 4,320 km/h, the MiG-31 Foxhound – a fighter aircraft by Soviet air force – ranks fifth on our list. It’s a supersonic interceptor aircraft designed for the Soviet Air Forces to help counter high-altitude, high-speed attacks. Performing at the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon in Zhukovskiy, this fighter jet is one of the oldest and fastest planes to operate even today.
MiG-25 Foxbat
The Soviet MiG-25 Foxbat is another supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance fastest fighter jet designed to facilitate military activities. It’s one of the oldest military aircraft still in operation after its launch in 1970. With a speed of up to Mach 3.2, approximately 2,190 mph (3,524 km/h), swept-back wings, turbojet engines, and vacuum-tube electronics made this interceptor fighter plane could successfully counter the American Lockheed SR-71 aircraft.
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
Designed and developed by the Lockheed Corporation – an American aerospace company – Lockheed Blackbird is the predecessor of Lockheed SR-72. Used during the Cold War, the Lockheed SR-71 is the world’s second-fastest jet-propelled aircraft, even though it has not taken to the sky since 1999. It was built on the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. This iconic aircraft, specialised in reconnaissance, could cruise at altitudes up to 85,000 feet, holding the record of being the highest-flying production aircraft ever built. Its excellent capability to fly so high helped it outpace missiles launched against it during the Cold War.
Concorde
A joint venture by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation, Concorde is the first-ever commercial supersonic aeroplane to fly with passengers. This turbojet-powered aeroplane was first taken to the sky on March 2, 1969, and retired on November 26, 2003. Concorde is one of only two supersonic vehicles running commercially so far; the other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144.
Soaring through the sky at a maximum speed of 2,179km/h, it holds the record for the fastest transatlantic to be crossed by a passenger aeroplane, taking around 2 hours 52 minutes, and 59 seconds to reach New York from London.
Materials
Now, what makes these aircraft fly at such high speed?
High-speed aircraft that fly at supersonic and hypersonic speeds are made of materials that can withstand unfavourable environmental conditions and aerodynamic, thermal, and mechanical stress. Some lightweight materials that have lower melting points, are strong and exhibit excellent strength-to-weight ratios are widely used to build high-speed aircraft:
- Titanium alloy – for their strength, resistance to corrosion, and lightweight to build engine components airframes
- Composites, such as Carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) (excellent strength-to-weight ratio) – to build structural components such as bulkheads, landing gears, etc.
- Aluminium alloys (extremely lightweight and lower melting points) – to build the hottest parts
- Nickel alloys – for their excellent strength to construct the parts of engine
Applications and Future Implications of High-Speed Aircraft
High-speed, high-altitude aircraft such as the NASA X-43 or Blackbird set the bedrock for the experiment and development of more advanced planes. The far-reaching applications and future implications they herald include:
- High-speed planes hold immense potential to significantly limit global travel time. The result: a paradigm shift in transnational connectivity and financial integration.
- Hypersonic aircraft have long been used by militaries to defend against threats.
- Supersonic and hypersonic aircraft also hold immense potential to revolutionise space exploration. Aircraft that can reach the edge of outer space, like the North American X-15, can be widely used for the effortless deployment of satellites.
Supersonic flights, by breaking the sound barrier, make you travel faster. This is why the last few decades saw an increasing focus on supersonic commercial travel, bringing the iconic Concorde to life. But after it retired in 2003, there was nothing worth mentioning in the landscape of supersonic travel. One of the key reasons is the continuous sonic boom with these high-speed flights when they soar through the sky. Sonic boom is forbidden in some countries, including the USA. It is why supersonic flights are restricted from flying over the ocean.
Again, the high ticket price, an increase in the demand for fuel, and hefty operational costs are other reasons that caused Concorde to retire prematurely. BA was failing to make expected returns with Concorde and soon realised it was not as cost-effective as subsonic planes for passengers to board into a flight only shorter by 50%.
Wrap Up
In short, the high-speed aircraft are marvels of engineering, setting a solid base for research and development. That day is not a long way off when challenges will be navigated to success through technological prowess and supersonic and hypersonic aircrafts will be used commercially.
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