The USAF Lockheed SR-71 'Blackbird', a reconnaissance aircraft, is the world's fastest non-experimental jet aeroplane, with a top speed in excess of Mach 3. First flown in its definitive form on 22 December 1964, it is reportedly capable of attaining an altitude of close to 30,000 m (100,000 ft). It has a wing span of 16.94 m (55 ft 7 in) and a length of 32.73 m (107 ft 5 in) and weighs 77.1 tonnes (170,000 lb) at take-off. Its reported range at Mach 3 is 4,800 km (3,000 miles) at 24,000 m (79,000 ft).
This SR-71 Blackbird is on display in the Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum in Roy, Utah. There is a sign listing the World Records owned by the plane.
Sign reads:
The World Records by the SR-71
When stationed at Beale AFB, Ca:
Sep 1, 1974 from New York to London
1 hour - 55 minutes
Sep 13, 1974 from London to Los Angeles
3 hours - 47 minutes.
The SR-71 is still the fastest Air Breathing, (manned) Jet Plane in the World
On March 27, 2004, NASA'a X-43A became the fastest Un-manned Air Breathing Aircraft by flying Mach 6.8316.
In 1968, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, a record airspeed of 2,070.102 mph (925 m/s) was achieved by a Lockheed YF-12A. The 1989 Guinness Book states that a record airspeed of 2,193.167 mph (980 m/s) was achieved by a Lockheed SR-71-A, which is a newer version of the YF-12A. The online source from the AFAM web page agrees with this number to the thousandths place, and it was recorded 7 years later. As it says, this plane has held this record speed for 24 years. The 1996 World Book Encyclopedia has a different answer of 4,520 mph (2020 m/s). This difference in opinion can be explained by the fact that this record speed was performed by a rocket plane, which differs from the type of plane mentioned in the other sources.
The source from 1968 differs from the more recent data because since 1968, engines and designs of planes have been advanced due to technological advances so that planes can fly faster. Of course there are other faster speeds. The US Space Shuttle flew at a record 16,000 mph (7153 m/s). These machines aren't planes and they achieve these high speeds only during reentry.
Blackbird Records: (
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Interesting note: The SR-71's top speed is still Classified
Guinness SR-71 website: (
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