Useless Fact: Fastest Aircraft In The World

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Fastest Aircraft In The World

Technology

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, first flown in 1963, is the fastest operational aircraft to fly within earth's atmosphere. At an operational altitude of 80,000 feet the SR-71 can achieve speeds over 2,200 MPH or above Mach 3. The airframe is built almost exclusively of titanium to withstand the extreme heat generated and two Pratt and Whitney J-58 axial flow turbojets producing a total of 68,000 pounds of thrust.

The SR-71 officially set the air speed record on July 28, 1976 when it set a two way average speed of 2193 mph around a closed course in California.

Only the experimental X-15 surpasses the SR-71 for the outright records at Mach 6.72.

Posted: 2001-09-25 9:36:38 AM

This fact has been viewed 38372 times.

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