Let’s face it: time is often a luxury for many of us. So wouldn’t it be great to go on a vacation to our cousins over the ocean while we’re in a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird jet plane? That aircraft is able to go from London to New York in only about two hours. That’s because we’re talking about a jet plane so fast that it is more than 3 times faster than the speed of sound.
Who would have thought a century ago, for instance, that the world will have planes so fast that you can first see them and only then hear them? For today, we’re excited to present you some of the fastest jet planes in the world, along with relevant footage for each of them, so buckle up and imagine that you’re the protagonist of the next Top Gun movie:
The X-2 Starbuster
Back in the 1950s, when the X-2 Starbuster rose high in the skies, this plane blew the minds of everyone. If you want a planet capable of more than three times the speed of sound, which means that you will see it before you can hear it, the X-2 Starbuster can do that job for you. To be more precise, this aircraft can reach a maximum speed of Mach 3,196, which means 2,094 mph.
MiG-25 Foxbat
The MiG-25 Foxbat is a fast Soviet interceptor that’s capable of achieving almost three times the speed of sound – 2.83 Mach, to be more precise. That’s also equivalent to 1,929 mph. This beauty became renowned for its high speed and capabilities at high altitudes decades ago during the Cold War.
As you’ve probably already guessed, the MiG-25 Foxbat was created to deal with other machines capable of insane fly speeds.
Lockheed YF-12
The Lockheed YF-12 qualifies as a high-speed interceptor and an experimental aircraft that has a lot in common with the SR-71 Blackbird. YF-12 is capable of a mind-blowing speed over three times faster than the speed of sound. In other words, this jet plane can travel at a speed of Mach 3.35, which also means 2,275 mph.
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
The F-22 Rapor qualifies as a fifth-generation fighter jet known for its agility and high speed. Being capable of reaching speeds of over two times the speed of sound (Mach 2.25, to be more precise), also means that this flying monster can fly at 1,500 mph.
Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker
Say what you want about the Russians, but nobody can deny that those guys know how to make some out-of-this-world jet planes, and that is also the case for the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. This marvel does great when it comes to both speed and maneuverability, as it can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.35, which means 1,550mph.
North American X-15
The North American X-15 easily takes the cake from our list, as it is a rocket-powered aircraft that can reach a record speed of Mach 6.72, which means 4,520 mph. In other words, this aircraft might easily be the fastest manned aircraft that was ever built.
The US military alone operates a significant number of jet planes across various branches, such as the Navy, Air Force, and Marines.
