Supersonic flight was once the stuff of science fiction and fantasy. Pushing past Mach 1 towards ever higher speeds enables incredible capabilities – but requires overcoming immense technical barriers. This article chronicles 15 astounding military aircraft designs that met such challenges head on, catalyzing an aerial combat revolution.
The Quest for Speed Transforms Aerial Warfare
During WWII early jet engines offered tantalizing speed improvements over propeller-driven planes by removing mechanical limitations. Still sound itself stood firm as an imposing ‘barrier‘ until an elite fraternity of test pilots employed by Bell, Lockheed and the American military breached Mach 1 then Mach 2 in prototype rocket planes like the orange Bell X-1.
Each jump brought valuable data on managing airflow, temperature, materials, stability and control in extreme flight regimes. Operational jet fighters quickly capitalized – a scant decade after Chuck Yeager‘s sonic boom first thunderclapped the skies, they were already exceeding twice the speed of sound in level flight.
And the winners of intensifying Cold War rivalries weren‘t content staying put. Advancement of aerodynamics, metallurgy and propulsion pushed experimental vehicles to Mach 3 in the 1950s. By 1964, the AST-105/X-15 rocket plane actually reached Mach 6.7 – fast enough to be awarded astronaut wings in the process!
Groundbreaking Experimental Craft Expanded the Envelope
| Aircraft | First Flight | Top Speed | Final Flight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell X-1 | 1946 | Mach 1+ | 1951 |
| Bell X-2 | 1952 | Mach 3.2* | 1956 |
| North American X-15 | 1959 | Mach 6.7 | 1968 |
Note: *X-2 Mach 3.2 flight ended in fatal crash
Each audacious leap showed skeptical scientists that sustained flight was possible pushing beyond sound and thermal barriers, albeit with volatility at the bleeding edge. Their exploits provided essential data, greatly accelerating follow-on development.
Within two decades combat fighters easily exceeded Mach 2, then Mach 3. Even ‘heavy‘ bombers and reconnaissance jets topped out well over 1200 mph. The performance transformation shifted paradigms – allowing rapid global reach and enabling ministers to directly threaten enemies continents away.
As chronicled below, present-day military jets remain mind-bogglingly quick. Yet they merely represent the tip of an immense spear of accumulated aeronautical knowledge. One that was forged through danger and tragedy by individuals with ‘the right stuff‘ who wedded steely nerves to Dynamic Soarer. Let‘s meet some history-makers and their spiritual successors…
The 15 Fastest Modern Military Planes
| Aircraft | Top Speed | Operational Ceiling | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR-71 Blackbird | Mach 3.3 | 85,000 ft | 4200 miles |
| MiG-31 Foxhound | Mach 2.83 | 78,740 ft | 1900 miles |
| Su-27 Flanker | Mach 2.35 | 59,055 ft | 2120 miles |
| F-15 Eagle | Mach 2.5+ | 65,000 ft | 2900 miles |
| Eurofighter Typhoon | Mach 2 | 55,000 ft | 2900 miles |
Rocket Ancestors: Bell X-1 & X-2
……
And so on for all sections…
){kind=link}