First field indicates the name of the aircraft, the second the top speed and the third the max. altitude

1. X-43 (Unmanned) Mach 9.8 110,000 feet
2. X-15 Mach 6.72 354,200 feet
3. SR-71 Blackbird (YF-12) Mach 3.2+ 85,000+ feet
4. MiG-25R Foxbat-B Mach 3.2 123,524 feet
4. X-2 Mach 3.2 126,200 feet
5. XB-70 Valkyrie Mach 3.1 77,350 feet
6. MiG-31 Foxhound Mach 2.83 67,600 feet
7. MiG-25 Foxbat (Ye-155) Mach 2.8 118,900 feet
8. F-15 Eagle Mach 2.5 60,000 feet
8. F-111 Aardvark Mach 2.5 60,000+ feet
9. X-1 Mach 2.435 90,440 feet
10. Su-24 Fencer Mach 2.4 57,400 feet
11. Tu-144 Charger Mach 2.35 59,055 feet
11. MiG-23 Flogger Mach 2.35 60,700 feet
11. Su-27 Flanker Mach 2.35 59,055 feet
12. F-14A Tomcat Mach 2.34 58,000+ feet
13. F-106 Delta Dart Mach 2.31 57,000 feet
14. IAI Kfir Mach 2.3 75,000 feet
14. English Electric Lightning Mach 2.3 60,000 feet
14. MiG-29 Fulcrum Mach 2.3 59,060 feet
14. F-107 Ultra Sabre Mach 2.3 48,000 feet
15. Tornado ADV Mach 2.2 69,997 feet
15. F-4 Phantom Mach 2.2 62,250 feet
15. Mirage 2000 Mach 2.2 59,055 feet
15. F-104 Starfighter Mach 2.2 58,000 feet
(120,800 feet NF-104A)
15. B-58 Hustler Mach 2.2 64,800 feet
16. F-105 Thunderchief Mach 2.1 52,000 feet
16. A-5 Vigilante Mach 2.1 52,100 feet
17. Su-22 Mach 2.09 59,055 feet
18. Tu-160 Blackjack Mach 2.05 49,200 feet
18. MiG-21 Fishbed Mach 2.05 50,000 feet
18. Concorde Mach 2.05 60,000 feet
19. D558-2 Skystreak Mach 2.005 83,235 feet
20. YF-23 Black Widow II Mach 2 (AB) 65,000 feet
20. F-20 Tigershark Mach 2+ 55,000 feet
20. YF-17 Cobra Mach 2+ 50,000 feet
21. Saab JAS 39 Gripen Mach 2 50,000 feet
21. F-16 Fighting Falcon Mach 2 50,000+ feet
21. Saab 37 Viggen Mach 2 60,039 feet
21. Saab 35 Draken Mach 2 65,600 feet
22. Tu-22M Backfire Mach 1.88 43,635 feet
22. F-14B/D Tomcat Mach 1.88 53,000+ feet
23. Su-34 Mach 1.8 45,890 feet
23. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Mach 1.8 50,000+ feet
23. F-22 Raptor Mach 1.8 (AB) 50,000 feet
24. XF-104 Starfighter Mach 1.79 58,000 feet
25. F-8 Crusader Mach 1.72 58,000 feet
26. F-101B Voodoo Mach 1.66 52,100 feet
27. X-29 FSW Mach 1.6 50,000 feet
28. Tu-22 Blinder Mach 1.52 48,228 feet
28. XF8U-1 Crusader Mach 1.52 58,000 feet
29. SEPECAT Jaguar Mach 1.5 45,930 feet
30. F-5 Freedom Fighter Mach 1.4 50,700 feet
31. F-100 Super Sabre Mach 1.3 51,000 feet
32. X-31 EFMI Mach 1.28 40,000 feet
33. B-1b Lancer Mach 1.25 50,000+ feet
34. F-102 Delta Dagger Mach 1.23 55,000 feet
35. T-38 Talon Mach 1.22 55,000+ feet
36. XF-90 Mach 1.1 39,000 feet
37. MiG-17 Fresco Mach 1.05 52,366 feet
38. F-86 Sabre Mach 1.04 50,800 feet
39. F-117 Nighthawk High Subsonic 45,000 feet
40. AV-8B Harrier II Mach 0.98 41,700+ feet
41. F-94 Starfire Mach 0.97 51,800 feet
42. A-6 Intruder Mach 0.94 42,400 feet
43. Saab 32 Lansen Mach 0.93 52,500 feet
44. F-80 Shooting Star Mach 0.88 46,800 feet
45. BAe Nimrod 2000 Mach 0.87 42,000 feet
46. B-52 Stratofortress Mach 0.86 55,000 feet
47. U-2 Dragon Lady Mach 0.8 90,000 feet
48. C-5 Galaxy Mach 0.79 35,750 feet
49. C-141 Starlifter Mach 0.77 41,600 feet
49. C-17 Globemaster III Mach 0.77 45,000 feet
50. B-2 Spirit Mach 0.72 50,000+ feet
50. P-3 Orion Mach 0.72 28,300 feet

Isn't the SR-71 the fastest?

Originally Posted by RankIt

Isn't the SR-71 the fastest?

it was when it first came out. the X series is taking over now.

hasnt the SR-71 been retired?

The x series is a rocket that can hold a crash dummy in it. They're an experimental development. At least the sr-71 had useful applications like recon. The problem with designing faster aircraft is that the human body can't handle so much g force, especially for sustained time periods.

So i think these new mach tests will be for robots, how is a human going to pilot something that fast without a lot of computer help anyway?

how is a human going to pilot something that fast without a lot of computer help anyway?

Ever heard of a warp drive, its still on paper but who knows what the future holds for us?

Back when the locomotive was invented they said that the human body couldn't sustain speeds over 30 miles an hour. As technology improves, so will the means to enable humans to utilize it. Who knows? Maybe we will have warp drive and inertial dampeners to go with it.

Originally Posted by Charge 7

Back when the locomotive was invented they said that the human body couldn't sustain speeds over 30 miles an hour.

The problem with designing faster aircraft is that the human body can't handle so much g force, especially for sustained time periods.

Ahem, how many G's does a space shuttle pull on launch?

And by the way, a sustained and even speed doesn't create G force..... Acceleration creates g force. So technically these aircraft could accelerate really slowly and your theory wouldn't cause a problem, would it?

These aicrafts already acclerate slowly, even at that rate of acceleration its hard enough for the human body to undergo the g-forces, one can imagine how much the g-force would be if they accelerated normally! i don't think its feasible to accelerate any more slowly, it would take a very long time to attain the required speed then.

On space shuttles the body is strapped in on reentry and takeoff when speeds are the greatest. If you're actually flying something that has great g force then it's different, you have to be able to control the plane and having to endure stresses like that make it difficult to build jets that can go faster while having a good operating environment.