Some people love flying and some people hate it, but no matter how you feel about being thousands of feet in the air, there's no denying that just being able to travel by air is a miracle of technology. Even though most of us are perfectly content with being able to travel across the country in a matter of hours, there are some planes that can travel far faster than the commercial aircraft most people are accustomed to.
Mankind has seen some crazy things flying in the sky before, such as this UFO that appeared right next to this Virgin Airlines plane. But the coolest thing about some of the world's speediest planes is that we know for a fact that human beings were able to create machines that can fly multiple times faster than the speed of sound. In fact, some of them can travel so fast, even this adorable daredevil plane passenger might not be able to handle it!
If you're a fan of things that go fast, check out these insanely speedy planes. Even though you probably won't be able to fly on any of them yourself, it's pretty neat to think about just how far aerial technology has come to allow such massive machines to fly at such intense speeds. Number 8 looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, don't you think?
12. F-15 Eagle
Designed in 1967, the F-15 Eagle as a tactical fighter that could take over the best aerial positions in a battle between fighter jets. They're expected to be in the Air Force past 2025 and can reach speeds up to 1,650 mph.
11. XB-70
This six-engine plane was created in the late 1950s as a prototype for a strategic bomber. They were used in supersonic test flights up until 1969. One of them was destroyed in a mid-air collision in the mid 1960s, but you can still see the other one at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio. These planes were able to reach a top speed of 2,000 mph.
10. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat
This plane was first used by the Soviet Defense Forces in 1970, and it's still occasionally used in the Russian Air Force today. It was created for the purpose of intercepting enemy aircraft flying at high speeds, and it's able to reach a top speed of 2,190 mph.
9. Lockheed YF-12
The Lockheed YF-12 was a huge plane created to intercept enemy planes at extremely high speeds. It was tested at Area 51, and its first flight occurred in 1963. After its use in the military was discontinued, it was used briefly for NASA research until the late 1970s. This plane was able to reach speeds of up to 2,270 mph.
8. SR-71 Blackbird
This plane was developed during the Cold War as part of a top secret project. It was flown from 1964 to 1998 by the US Air Force, and it's considered one of the greatest aviation accomplishments during the Cold War. It was able to reach speeds of around 2,500 mph.
7. X-15
The early 1960s was a great time for the X-15, when it set multiple records for both speed and altitude. In fact, it still holds the world record for the fastest manned aircraft in history thanks to its top speed of 4,250…or 6.7 times the speed of sound.
6. F-4 Phantom
This all-weather fighter-bomber was considered the top aircraft during the Vietnam War. It had a top speed of 1,607 mph, meaning it could travel all the way around the world in less than 16 hours.
5. Mikoyan Ye-152
This sleek aircraft was created by the Russians, and it's considered to be their fastest single-jet engine ever made in the country. It tops out at a super fast 1,666 mph.
4. Boeing X-51
This plane will never have a pilot, but by 2020, it's set to be used as a high-speed strike weapon. It already achieved Mach 5.1 and traveled over 230 miles in just six minutes, but in time, it's set to be able to hit 3,400 mph.
3. X43A Scramjet
This aircraft developed after WWII was designed by NASA as an experimental project to fly between seven- and ten-times the speed of sound. The result? A plane that could fly at a whopping 7,500 mph.
2. X-41
Nearly everything about this aircraft is classified information, though we know it's supposed to be able to carry 1,000 lbs at hypersonic speeds. The idea is for it to be able to reach up to 13,000 mph and be able to reach any objective in an hour, but it's unclear as to whether or not that goal has been achieved.
1. NASA Space Shuttle
Ok, so it's not an "airplane" in the traditional sense, but you can't deny that an aircraft that can go all the way up into outer space is pretty darn cool. But these shuttles aren't only able to take all the stress that comes with flying at such extreme altitudes — they can also do it at incredible speeds. They can reach up to 17,500 mph, which is enough to circle the world in just 1.4 hours!
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