What is the fastest known jet?

Question

Not including project aurara.

Answer 1

NASA's X-43A Scramjet Breaks Speed Record

NASA's X-43A research vehicle screamed into the record books demonstrating an air-breathing engine can fly at nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Preliminary data from the scramjet-powered research vehicle show its revolutionary engine worked successfully at approximately Mach 10, nearly 7000 mph, as it flew at an altitude of approximately 110,000 feet.

Answer 2

As mentioned already, the X-43, an unmanned aircraft, is the fastest jet, with a top speed of 7000 mph. The fastest manned jet is the SR-71 Blackbird, with a speed of 2188 mph. Other than military and experimental jets, the Tu-144 is the fastest commercial jet, with a speed of 1550 mph, faster than the Concorde. With no commercial supersonic jets in service today, the fastest commercial jet in service is the 747, with a cruising speed of Mach 0.855. The Convair 990 cruised at Mach 0.91 but was not put in widespread use. Conventional jets also broke the sound barrier, including a DC-8 undergoing flight tests and a 747 nosediving out of control.

Answer 3

The SR-71 (designed in the 50's!!!) is the fastest known jet. It flew Los Angeles to New York in 1 hour :59 minutes though the top speed is still classified even though it has been decommissioned for 10 years. It's was used to take photo's of the enemy from upwards of 80,000 feet but has been replaced by sattelites. Fun facts about the SR-71; it is 6 inches longer in flight that when sitting on the ground. It's fuel is thick like jelly. It flies so fast that when it turns at high speed it banks so shallow that it might take a radius the size of Washington to California do a 180 degree turn! There are 'X-planes' that may be or have been faster but they are usually classified as rockets as they don't have air intakes they just burn solid fuel

Answer 4

For non experimental, check out B-70 or XB-70 Valkyrie. It was a long range nuke bomber from the 50s/60s that never went into production due to the fact that ICBMs became more practical. Valkyrie was somewhat faster than SR-71; however, it was also about 3 times larger!
For experimentals, check out X-15 (rocket ship) from the cold war era, (speed > 6000 mph.) And most recently, about a year ago, testing was done on an RC version of the X-43 with test speeds between mach 7 and mach 10. See link below.
http://users.dbscorp.net/jmustain/x43.htm

Answer 5

Officially, the world's fastest jet-powered aircraft remains the SR-71 Blackbird. Although the official record is about Mach 3.3 (or 3.3 times the speed of sound), many believe the aircraft could actually fly much faster. However, it seems unlikely that the SR-71 could go much faster than about Mach 3.5, with a very slim chance of Mach 4, due to propulsion and structural limitations. By Mach 3.6 or 3.8, shock waves generated by the nose of the aircraft are formed at an angle such that they impact the engine nacelles and cause the engines to unstart. In addition, heat generated by the aircraft's high speed increases to the point that certain portions of the plane's structure begin to fail by about Mach 3.5.

Answer 6

the X-15A Record is 4,534 MPH, which is more that double the speed of the SR-71 Blackbird. That's Mach 6.72 Max altitude, 354,200 ft. It's the fastest and highest aircraft (human carrying). The scramjets are faster, but are as yet unmanned.

Answer 7

the fastest civilian jet was the concord until was grounded due cost, the fastest jet of all or have the record speed is the sr-71 black bird 3.2 plus match speed also is a rumor something called the aurora suppose to flight match 10 but still a rumor

Answer 8

Cherokee (Answerer above) is right, its the X-43A with a speed of Mach 9.68 (7000 mph) that holds the speed record for the fastest air-breathing aircraft.

The X-15 mentioned in many answers above is a rocket plane and so not a "jet"

Answer 9

SR71 Blackbird

Answer 10

SR71, they only say can do mach 3 plus, but sincew it can fly from Los Angeles to New York in only 45 minutes, taking into account time to accellerate and decelerate, and time for mid air refueling, I calculate well over mach 6.