What was the fastest aircraft to fly across the Atlantic before the SR-71 came along.?

Answer 1

The B-58 Hustler. On its way to the 1961 Le Bourget airshow, it flew from NY to Paris in 3 hours and 19 minutes - an official world record at that time. The SR-71's forerunners did already exist at that time, but since they were top secret they still hadn't set any official record.

Answer 2

In response to the answer above putting the Concorde as a candidate, I'd like to say that the Concorde made the first transatlantic flight in 1976 while the SR-71 already had record in 1974.

I guess it should be the RAF Canberra flying from Aldergrove, Northern Ireland to Gander, Newfoundland on February 21, 1951, distance1,800 miles and time of 4h 37m.

Add-On: I was wrong in stating that the Canberra held the record. It is the B-58 as mentioned by the folks below.

Answer 3

For the record, the A-11, A-12, YF-12A and SR71 are all the same aircraft.

On paper the F-14, F-4, F-15 and others might be able to do the trip in 4 hours, but in practice the fuel burn at supersonic speeds is vast in that generation and they'd spend most of the trip sucking fuel out of tankers so they'd still need 8 hours to make the east to west crossing.

I wonder how fast a Tu-22M could cruise?

Answer 4

The Anglo-French Concorde, that was operated by British Airways and Air France and flew at supersonic speeds from London/ Paris to New York. The flight took only about 3 hours.

Among commercial airliners, the fastest now is the Boeing 747 and its variants as well as the Boeing 777, though they are not as fast as the Concorde: They take nearly 9 hours- or three times more- to fly from London/ Paris to New York.

In military aircraft, most US made warplanes such as F-14s and F-16s, also used by NATO, could travel the distance in about 4 hours but needed refuelling over the Atlantic to sustain the flight.

Answer 5

I don't know if it flew across the pond but the YF-12, also by Lockheed was the fast rascal for at least a decade before the SR-71 set it's record.

Robert McNamara killed the F-12 program but gave us the Edsel and Single Screw Carriers. Sometimes there's no justice.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

B-58. I was not the pilot, nor did I fly the bombers, but I was stationed on base with the plane that made the run and watched her take off and return. There were actually 2 of them.

Answer 8

F4 Phantom

Answer 9

I don't know, but the Boeing 707 probably held that record before the spy planes and Concorde. It still holds several transcontinental records -- it was one fast mother.

Answer 10

I can't be sure mind you but I think that honor would go to the B-58 Hustler.