Aircraft records
Encyclopedia
This article gives yearly aviation records under 5 headings: airspeed
, range
, ceiling
, gross take-off weight and engine power.
Airspeed
Airspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
, range
Range (aircraft)
The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft, or cross-country speed and environmental conditions in unpowered aircraft....
, ceiling
Ceiling (aeronautics)
With respect to aircraft, a ceiling is the maximum density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions.The word ceiling can also refer to the height of the lowest obscuring cloud layer above the ground.-Service ceiling:...
, gross take-off weight and engine power.
| Year | Airspeed | Range | Ceiling | T/O Weight | Engine power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | 60.91 km/h (37.85 mph) USA Wilbur Wright Flyer III October 5, 1905 |
38.95 km (24.2 miles) USA Wilbur Wright Flyer III October 5, 1905 |
15 m (50 ft) USA Wilbur Wright Flyer III September 28, 1905 |
388 kg (855 lb) USA Wright Brothers Wright brothers The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903... Flyer III |
37 kW (50 hp) France Léon Levavasseur Léon Levavasseur Léon Levavasseur was a powerplant engineer, aircraft designer and inventor. His innovations included the V8 engine, direct fuel injection, and evaporative engine cooling... Antoinette |
| 1907 | 25 m (82 ft) France Louis Blériot Louis Blériot Louis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000... Blériot VI Blériot VI -Bibliography:* Devaux, Jean and Michel Marani. "Les Douze Premiers Aéroplanes de Louis Blériot". Pegase No 54, May 1989.* Elliott, Bryan A. Blériot: Herald of an Age. Stroud: Tempus, 2000. ISBN 0 7524 1739 8... September 17, 1907 |
522 kg (1,151 lb) France Voisin Brothers Voisin-Farman No 1 |
40 kW (54 hp) France Renault VB Renault |
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| 1908 | 64.79 km/h (40.26 mph) France Henry Farman Voisin biplane October 30, 1908 |
124.69 km (77.48 miles) USA Wilbur Wright Wright A December 31, 1908 |
110 m (361 ft) USA Wilbur Wright Wright A December 18, 1908 |
544 kg (1,200 lb) USA Wilbur Wright Wright A |
59 kW (79 hp) France Gobron-Brille Gobron |
| 1909 | 76.96 km/h (47.82 mph) France Louis Blériot Blériot XII Blériot XII -References:* Taylor M.J.H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation London: Studio Editions, 1989 p.161* Devaux, Jean and Michel Marani. "Les Douze Premiers Aéroplanes de Louis Blériot". Pegase No 54, May 1989.... August 28, 1909 |
234.21 km (145.53 miles) France Henry Farman HF.1 No III December 1, 1909 |
453 m (1,486 ft) France Hubert Latham Hubert Latham Arthur Charles Hubert Latham was a French aviation pioneer. He was the first person to attempt to cross the English Channel in an aeroplane... Antoinette VII Antoinette VII |-See also:* Antoinette III* Antoinette IV* Antoinette V* Antoinette VI* Antoinette military monoplane-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing: London. File 889 Sheet 63.... December 1, 1909 |
620 kg (1,367 lb) France Louis Blériot Blériot XII |
66 kW (89 hp) France Gobron-Brille Gobron |
| 1910 | 110 km/h (68.2 mph) France Alfred Leblanc Alfred LeBlanc Alfred Leblanc was a pioneer French aviator.-Biography:He was born on April 13, 1869 in France. He was assistant to Louis Bleriot and handled the logistics for Bleriot on the morning of his cross channel flight July 25, 1909. In 1910 he set an cross-country flight airspeed record by flying 485... Blériot XI Blériot XI The Blériot XI is the aircraft in which, on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot made the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft . This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the early years of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in... October 29, 1910 |
584.7 km (363.34 miles) France Maurice Tabuteau Maurice-Farman December 30, 1910 |
3,100 m (10,170 ft) France Georges Legagneux Hubert Latham Antoinette VII December 1, 1909 |
1,322 kg (2,950 lb) Great Britain Samuel Cody Samuel Cody Samuel Franklin Cowdery was born in Birdville, Texas, USA. He was an early pioneer of manned flight, most famous for his work on the large kites known as Cody War-Kites that were used in World War I as a smaller alternative to balloons for artillery spotting... Cody Michelin Cup |
132 kW (177 hp) France Clerget Gobron |
| 1911 | 141.2 km/h (87.73 mph) France Edouard Nieuport Nieuport Nie-2 N June 21, 1911 |
740 km (460 miles) France Armand Gobé Nieuport December 24, 1911 |
3,910 m (12,828 ft) France Roland Garros Blériot XI September 4, 1911 |
1,350 kg (2,976 lb) France Léon Levavasseur Antoinette Monoblock |
132 kW (177 hp) France Clerget Double Clerget 4W |
| 1912 | 174.1 km/h (108.18 mph) France Jules Vèdrines Monocoque Déperdussin September 9, 1912 |
1,010.89 km (628.14 miles) France Géo Fourny Maurice Farman September 11, 1912 |
5,610 m (18,405 ft) France Roland Garros Morane-Saulnier December 11, 1912 |
147 kW (197 hp) France Clerget Clerget |
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| 1913 | 203.8 km/h (126.66 mph) France Maurice Prévost Monocoque Déperdussin September 29, 1913 |
1,021.19km (634.54 miles) France A Seguin Henry Farman October 13, 1913 |
6,120 m (20,079 ft) France Georges Legagneux Nieuport II N December 28, 1913 |
4,080 kg (8,995 lb) Russia Igor Sikorsky Igor Sikorsky Igor Sikorsky , born Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a Russian American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft... Russian Knight |
162 kW (217 hp) France Salmsson Canton-Unné (CU) 2M7 |
| 1914 | 216.5 km/h (134.54 mph) Great Britain Norman Spratt Norman Spratt Norman Spratt, a native of Durban, Natal, was an officer of the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War who was involved in much aircraft testing at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, United Kingdom. He later served as a group captain in the Royal Air Force... RAF SE.4 June 1914 |
1,900 km (1,180.61 miles) Germany Werner Landmann Albatros June 28, 1914 |
8,150 m (26,739 ft) Germany Heinrich Oelerich DFW Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke, usually known as DFW was a German aircraft manufacturer of the early twentieth century. It was established by Bernhard Meyer and Erich Thiele at Lindenthal in 1910, and initially produced Farman designs under licence, later moving on to the Etrich Taube and eventually to... July 14, 1914 |
4,800 kg (10,582 lb) Russia Igor Sikorsky Ilya Muromets A |
168 kW (225 hp) Great Britain Sunbeam |
| 1915 | 6,350 kg (14,000 lb) Great Britain Handley Page Ltd Handley Page 0/100 |
169 kW (227 hp) France Louis Renault Louis Renault (industrialist) Louis Renault was a French industrialist, one of the founders of Renault and a pioneer of the automobile industry.... Renault 12A |
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| 1916 | 12,129 kg (26,739 lb) Germany Staaken Staaken Staaken is a locality at the western rim of Berlin within the borough of Spandau. In the west it shares border with the Brandenburg municipalities of Falkensee and Dallgow-Döberitz in the Havelland district. Buildings range from small detached houses in the west to larger 1960s and 1970s housing... R.VI |
296 kW (296 hp) France Louis Renault Renault 12F |
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| 1917 | 12,955 kg (28,561 lb) Germany Staaken R.VII |
298 kW (400 hp) USA Packard & Hall Scott Liberty |
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| 1918 | 262.4 km/h (163.06 mph) USA Roland Rohlfs Roland Rohlfs Test pilot Roland Rohlfs was a distinguished American aviator.-Background:He was the son of Anna Katharine Green , the famous American crime novelist, and her husband, actor and renowned furniture craftsman, Charles Rohlfs.... Curtiss Wasp August 19, 1918 |
8,808 m (28,897 ft) USA Rudolph Schroeder Bristol F.2B November 18, 1918 |
15,900 kg (35,053 lb) Germany Staaken R.XIVa |
522 kW (700 hp) Italy Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli... Fiat A.14 Fiat A.14 -References:* Gunston, Bill. . World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Patrick Stephens: Wellingborough. p. 62-63... |
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| 1919 | 307.5 km/h (191.1 mph) France Joseph Sadi-Lecointe Nieuport-Delage 29v December 16, 1919 |
3,032 km (1,884 miles) Great Britain Alcock and Brown Vickers Vimy Vickers Vimy The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop... June 15, 1919 |
10,549 m (34,610 ft) USA Roland Rohlfs Curtiss Wasp September 18, 1919 |
20,263 kg (44,672 lb) Great Britain WG Tarrant Ltd Tarrant Tabor Tarrant Tabor - See also :* Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1 - a design by Barling for a similar aircraft for the US Army- External links :* http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/tarrant_tabor.php* http://members.aol.com/wwatrans/unique.htm... |
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| 1920 | 313 km/h (194.49 mph) France Joseph Sadi-Lecointe Nieuport-Delage 29v December 12, 1920 |
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| 1921 | 330 km/h (205.22 mph) France Joseph Sadi-Lecointe Nieuport-Delage September 26, 1921 |
26,000 kg (57,319 lb) Italy SAI Caproni Caproni Ca 60 |
625 kW (838 hp) France Marcel Riffard Marcel Riffard Marcel Riffard was a French aeronautical engineer. In the 1930s, while working at the design department of Caudron-Renault, he designed a series of racer aircraft, as well as utility aircraft such as the Caudron Simoun.... Breguet-Bugatti 32A |
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| 1922 | 361 km/h (224.28 mph) USA William Mitchell Curtiss R-6 October 18, 1922 |
4,052 km (2517.8 miles) USA Oakley G. Kelly Oakley G. Kelly Oakley George Kelly was a record setting pilot for the United States Army Air Service.-Biography:He was born on December 3, 1891 in Pennsylvania.In May 1922, Lieutenant Oakley G... and John A. Macready Fokker T-2 October 6, 1922 |
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| 1923 | 430 km/h (267.16 mph) USA Alford J Williams Curtiss R2C-1 November 4, 1923 |
5,300 km (3,293 miles) USA Smith and Richter De Havilland DH.4B August 28, 1923 |
11,145 m (36,565 ft) France Joseph Sadi-Lecointe Nieuport-Delage October 30, 1923 |
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| 1924 | 448 km/h (278.47 mph) France Florentine Bonnet Bernard Ferbois V2 December 11, 1924 |
746 kW (1,000 hp) Great Britain Napier Cub |
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| 1925 | |||||
| 1926 | 5,396 km (3,352.92 miles) France Costes and Rignot Breguet 19 GR October 19, 1926 |
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| 1927 | 479 km/h (297.83 mph) Italy Mario de Bernardi Mario De Bernardi Mario de Bernardi was an Italian World War I fighter pilot, seaplane air racer of the 1920s, and test pilot of early Italian experimental jets.-Early life:De Bernardi was born on July 1, 1893, in Venosa, Italy... Macchi M.52 Macchi M.52 |-M.52bis or M.52R:-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7.... November 4, 1927 |
6,294 km (3,911 miles) USA Chamberlin and Levine Bellanca June 6, 1927 |
11,710 m (38,418 ft) USA CC Champion Wright Apache July 25, 1927 |
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| 1928 | 513 km/h (318.57 mph) Italy Mario de Bernardi Macchi M.52bis March 30, 1928 |
7,665.3 km (4,763.81 miles) Italy Arturo Ferrarin and Carlo del Prete SIAI-Marchetti S.64 July 5, 1928 |
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| 1929 | 583 km/h (362 mph) Italy Giuseppe Motta Giuseppe Motta Giuseppe Motta was a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council and President of the League of Nations .-Commemoration:... Macchi M.67 Macchi M.67 |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7.... August 22, 1929 |
8,029.4 km (4,989.26 miles) France D. Costes and P.Codos Breguet 19 Breguet 19 The Breguet 19 was a light bomber and reconnaissance plane, also used for long-distance flights, designed by the French Breguet company and produced from 1924.-Development:... December 17, 1929 |
12,739 m (41,795 ft) Germany Willi Neuenhofen Junkers W 34 May 26, 1929 |
56,000 kg (123,457 lb) Germany Dornier Dornier Flugzeugwerke Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claudius Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many notable designs for both the civil and military markets.-History:... Dornier Do X Dornier Do X The Dornier Do X was the largest, heaviest, and most powerful flying boat in the world when it was produced by the Dornier company of Germany in 1929. First conceived by Dr. Claudius Dornier in 1924, planning started in late 1925 and after over 240,000 work hours it was completed in June 1929... |
1,119 kW (1,500 hp) Great Britain Rolls Royce Rolls-Royce Limited Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904.... Rolls Royce R |
| 1930 | 8,188.8 km (5,088.28 miles) Italy Maddalena and Cecconi SIAI-Marchetti S.M.64bis June 2, 1930 |
13,157 m (43,166 ft) USA Apollo Soucek Apollo Soucek Apollo Soucek was a vice admiral in the United States Navy, who was a record-breaking test pilot during 1929-1930, served in World War II, and was commander of Carrier Division Three during the Korean War, ending his career as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.-Biography:Soucek was born in... Wright Apache June 4, 1930 |
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| 1931 | 655 km/h (406.94 mph) Great Britain GH Stainforth Supermarine S.6B Supermarine S.6B |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.... September 29, 1931 |
10,371 km (6,444.27 miles) France Le Brix and Doret Dewoitine D-33 June 10, 1931 |
2,280 kW (3,058 hp) Italy Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli... Fiat AS.6 Fiat AS.6 -See also:-Bibliography:*Eves, Edward The Schneider Trophy Story. Shrewsbury. Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2001. ISBN 1-84037-257-5.*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9... |
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| 1932 | 10,601.5 km (6,587.45 miles) France Bossoutrot and Rossi Blériot 110 March 26, 1932 |
13,404 m (43,976 ft) Great Britain Cyril F Uwins Vickers Vespa Vickers Vespa |-See also:*Aerial operations in the Chaco War-Bibliography:* Andrews, C.F. and Morgan, Eric B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908, Second edition. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.... September 16, 1932 |
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| 1933 | 682 km/h (423.82 mph) Italy Francesco Agello Francesco Agello Francesco Agello was an Italian test pilot.-Biography and flight achievements:Born at Casalpusterlengo, Lombardy, Agello graduated from pilot school in 1924 and soon became a test pilot. He was the fourth of four test pilots who tried to set a speed record with the Macchi M.C.72... Macchi-Castoldi MC-72 April 18, 1933 |
13,660 m (44,816 ft) France Gustave Lemoine Potez 50 September 28, 1933 |
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| 1934 | 709 km/h (440.68 mph) Italy Francesco Agello Francesco Agello Francesco Agello was an Italian test pilot.-Biography and flight achievements:Born at Casalpusterlengo, Lombardy, Agello graduated from pilot school in 1924 and soon became a test pilot. He was the fourth of four test pilots who tried to set a speed record with the Macchi M.C.72... Macchi-Castoldi MC-72 October 23, 1934 |
14,432 m (47,352 ft) Italy Renato Donati Caproni Ca 113 AQ April 11, 1934 |
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| 1935 | 14,575 m (47,818 ft) USSR Vladimir Kokkinaki Vladimir Kokkinaki Vladimir Konstantinovich Kokkinaki was a test pilot in the Soviet Union, setting twenty-two world records and serving as president of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.-Life and career:... Polikarpov TsKB-3 (I-15 Polikarpov I-15 The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during... ) November 21, 1935 |
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| 1936 | 15,223 m (49,944 ft) Great Britain S.R. Swain Bristol 138 September 28, 1936 |
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| 1937 | 16,440 m (53,937 ft) Great Britain MJ Adam Bristol 138 |
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| 1938 | 11,650 km (7,239 miles) Japan Takahashi and Sekine Koken May 16, 1938 |
17,083 m (56,046 ft) Italy Mario Pezzi Mario Pezzi Mario Pezzi was an Italian aviator known worldwide for his flight in which he achieved greater height than any other pilot in a propeller-powered airplane.- Biography :... Caproni 161bis October 22, 1938 |
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| 1939 | 755 km/h (469.22 mph) Germany Fritz Wendel Fritz Wendel Fritz Wendel was a German test pilot during the 1930s and 1940s.-Achievements:On 26 April 1939 Fritz Wendel set the world air speed record of 469.22 mph, flying the Messerschmitt Me 209 V1... Messerschmitt Me-209 V1 April 26, 1939 |
12,936 km (8,038 miles) Italy Tondi, Degasso, Vignoli Savoia-Marchetti S.M.75 August 1, 1939 |
544 kgf thrust (1,200 lbf thrust) Germany Pabst von Ohain Heinkel HeS 3B |
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| 1940 | |||||
| 1941 | 1,004 km/h km/h (623.85 mph) Germany Heini Dittmar Heini Dittmar Heini Dittmar was a German glider pilot.Inspired by the example of his glider flying brother Edgar, Dittmar took an apprenticeship at the German Institute for Gliding , and won first prize in his class in the 1932 Rhön Glider Competition, when he was 21 years old, with a self-built glider,... Messerschmitt Me 163A Messerschmitt Me 163 The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. Messerschmitt... October 2, 1941 |
748 kgf thrust (1,650 lbf thrust) Germany Walter HWK R11 R11 R11, R-11, or similar, may refer to:* R-11 , a Scud tactical ballistic missile model* Tumansky R-11, turbojet* R11 * R11: Highly flammable, a risk phrase... |
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| 1942 | 63,500 kg (140,000 lb) USA Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... Boeing XB-29 Superfortress |
910 kgf thrust (2,006 lbf thrust) Germany Junkers Motoren Jumo 004 B |
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| 1943 | 75,500 kg (166,447 lb) Germany Junkers Junkers Ju-390 |
1,700 kgf thrust (3,748 lbf thrust) Germany Walter HWK 109-509 A-2 |
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| 1944 | 94,339 kg (207,981 lb) Germany Blohm & Voss Blohm & Voss V238 V1 |
2,000 kgf thrust (4,410 lbf thrust) Germany Walter HWK 109-509 C |
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| 1945 | |||||
| 1946 | 18,081 km (11,235 miles) USA Thomas D Davies Lockheed P2V-1 Neptune October 1, 1946 |
140,614 kg (310,000 lb) USA Convair Convair Convair was an American aircraft manufacturing company which later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Vultee Aircraft and Consolidated Aircraft, and went on to produce a number of pioneering aircraft, such as the Convair B-36 bomber, and the F-102... Convair XB-36 |
2,722 kgf thrust (6,000 lbf thrust) USA Reaction Motors Inc XLR 11-RM-5 |
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| 1947 | 1,434 km/h (891.07 mph) USA Charles Yeager Bell X-1 Bell X-1 The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army/US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived in 1944 and designed and built over 1945, it eventually reached nearly 1,000 mph in 1948... November 6, 1947 |
181,437 kg (400,000 lb) USA Hughes Aircraft Co H-4 Hercules |
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| 1948 | 1,540 km/h (957 mph) USA Charles Yeager Bell X-1 March 26, 1948 |
19,507 m (64,000 ft) USA Charles Yeager Bell X-1 May 26, 1948 |
2,740 kgf thrust (6,041 lbf thrust) USSR Klimov Klimov The Kirill Klimov Experimental Design Bureau under the direction of Vladimir Yakovlevich Klimov designed engines for Soviet aircraft. The OKB was formed in the early 1930s to produce and improve upon the liquid-cooled Hispano-Suiza 12Y V-12 piston engine for which the USSR had acquired a license... Klimov VK-1 Klimov VK-1 -Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:* *... |
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| 1949 | 37,165 km (23,093 miles) USA James Gallagher Boeing B-50A March 2, 1949 |
21,916 m (71,902 ft) USA Frank Everest Bell X-1 August 8, 1949 |
2,948 kgf thrust (6,500 lbf thrust) Great Britain Rolls Royce Rolls Royce Avon 100 |
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| 1950 | 3,969 kgf thrust (8,750 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA... Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 |
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| 1951 | 1,997 km/h (1,240.89 mph) USA William Bridgeman Bill Bridgeman William [Bill] Barton Bridgeman was an American test pilot who broke aviation records while working for the Douglas aircraft company testing experimental aircraft.... Douglas D-558-2 August 7, 1951 |
24,230 m (79,494 ft) USA William Bridgeman Douglas D-558-2 August 15, 1951 |
4,400 kgf thrust (9,700 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney J57-P-3 |
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| 1952 | 190,509 kg (420,000 lb) USA Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... B-52A Stratofortress B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service... |
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| 1953 | 2,655 km/h (1,650 mph) USA Charles Yeager Bell X-1A December 12, 1953 |
25,376 m (83,253 ft) USA Marion Carl Douglas D-558-2 August 21, 1953 |
8,700 kgf thrust (19,181 lbf thrust) USSR Mikulin Mikulin AM-3D |
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| 1954 | 27,566 m (90,440 ft) USA Arthur Murray Arthur Murray Arthur Murray was a dance instructor and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name.... Bell X-1A August 26, 1954 |
9,500 kgf thrust (20,945 lbf thrust) USSR Mikulin Mikulin AM-3M |
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| 1955 | 10,000 kgf thrust (22,047 lbf thrust) USSR Lyulka Lyulka Lyul'ka was a USSR aero-engine design bureau and manufacturer from 1938 to the 1990s, when manufacturing and design elements were integrated as NPO Saturn based at Rybinsk... Lyulka AL-7F TRD-31 |
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| 1956 | 3,370 km/h (2,094 mph) USA Milburn Apt Bell X-2 Bell X-2 -Popular culture:* The 1956 film Toward the Unknown starred the X-2, William Holden, Lloyd Nolan and Virginia Leith. A brainwashed former POW tries to return to test flying; co-starring the Martin XB-51 and the Edwards AFB flight line.... September 27, 1956 |
38,376 m (125,907 ft) USA Iven Kincheloe Bell X-2 September 7, 1956 |
204,117 kg (450,000 lb) USA Boeing B-52C Stratofortress |
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| 1957 | 39,147 km (24,325 miles) USA Archie Old Jr B-52B Stratofortress January 18, 1957 |
12,251 kgf thrust (27,008 lbf thrust) USSR Lyulka Lyulka AL-21F |
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| 1958 | 221,353 kg (488,000 lb) USA Boeing B-52G Stratofortress |
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| 1959 | |||||
| 1960 | 3,534 km/h (2,196 mph) USA Joseph Albert Walker North American X-15 North American X-15 The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and... August 4, 1960 |
41,605 m (136,500 ft) USA Robert Michael White North American X-15 August 12, 1960 |
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| 1961 | 6,587 km/h (4,093 mph) USA Robert White North American X-15 November 9, 1961 |
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| 1962 | 6,605 km/h (4,104 mph) USA Joseph Walker North American X-15 June 27, 1962 |
95,936 m (314,750 ft) USA Robert White North American X-15 July 17, 1962 |
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| 1963 | 107,960 m (354,200 ft) USA Joseph Albert Walker North American X-15 North American X-15 The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and... August 22, 1963 |
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| 1964 | 249,476 kg (550,000 lb) USA North American North American Aviation North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service... XB-70A Valkyrie |
14,742 kgf thrust (32,500 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA... Pratt & Whitney JT11D-20B |
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| 1965 | 250,000 kg (551,147 lb) USSR Antonov Antonov Antonov, or Antonov Aeronautical Scientist/Technical Complex , formerly the Antonov Design Bureau, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. Antonov ASTC is a state-owned commercial company... An-22 Anteus Antonov An-22 The Antonov An-22 Antei was the world's heaviest aircraft, until the advent of the American C-5 Galaxy and later the Soviet An-124. Powered by four pairs of contra-rotating turboprops, the design remains the world's largest turboprop-powered aircraft... |
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| 1966 | |||||
| 1967 | 7,297 km/h (4,534 mph) USA Pete Knight William J. Knight William J. "Pete" Knight was a U.S. politician, combat pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. Knight holds the world's speed record for flight in a winged, powered aircraft... North American X-15 North American X-15 The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and... October 3, 1967 |
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| 1968 | 348,359 kg (768,000 lb) USA Lockheed Lockheed Corporation The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:... C-5A Galaxy C-5 Galaxy The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many... |
20,000 kgf thrust (44,095 lbf thrust) USSR Kuznetsov Design Bureau Kuznetsov NK-144 Kuznetsov NK-144 The Kuznetsov NK-144 is an afterburning turbofan engine made by the Soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Used on the early models of the Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic aircraft, it was very inefficient and was replaced with the Kolesov RD-36-51 turbojet engine.... |
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| 1969 | 21,296 kgf thrust (46,950 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7AW |
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| 1970 | 351,534 kg (775,000 lb) USA Boeing Boeing B-747 200B |
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| 1971 | 377,842 kg (833,000 lb) USA Boeing Boeing B-747 200F |
22,861 kgf thrust (50,400 lbf thrust) USA General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... General Electric CF6-50C |
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| 1973 | 23,496 kgf thrust (51,800 lbf thrust) USA General Electric General Electric CF6-50E |
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| 1976 | 24,145 kgf thrust (53,230 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney JT9D-59B |
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| 1978 | 24,190 kgf thrust (53,330 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q1 |
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| 1980 | 24,875 kgf thrust (54,840 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q2 |
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| 1982 | 25,401 kgf thrust (56,000 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7H1 |
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| 1985 | 404,994 kg (892,859 lb) USSR Antonov Antonov An-124 Condor |
26,762 kgf thrust (59,000 lbf thrust) USA General Electric General Electric CF6-80C2A1 |
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| 1986 | 40,213 km (24,987 miles) USA Dick Rutan Dick Rutan Richard Glenn "Dick" Rutan is an aviator who piloted the Voyager aircraft around the world non-stop with co-pilot Jeana Yeager... and Jeana Yeager Jeana Yeager Jeana Yeager is an aviator. She is most famous for co-piloting a non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world in the Rutan Voyager aircraft from 14 to 23 December 1986. The flight took 9 days, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds and covered 24,986 miles , more than doubling the old distance record set by... Voyager December 23, 1986 |
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| 1987 | 27,896 kgf thrust (61,500 lbf thrust) USA General Electric General Electric CF6-80C2A5 |
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| 1989 | 404,994 kg (892,859 lb) USSR Antonov Antonov An-225 Mriya |
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| 1990 | 27,928 kgf thrust (61,570 lbf thrust) USA Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney 4060A |
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| 2004 | 112,000 m (367,454 ft) USA Brian Binnie Brian Binnie William Brian Binnie is a former United States Navy officer and is one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites.-History:... Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne October 4, 2004 |
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| 2005 | 41,467 km (25,766 miles) USA Steve Fossett Steve Fossett James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon... Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer The Scaled Composites Model 311 Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer is an aircraft designed by Burt Rutan in which Steve Fossett flew a solo nonstop airplane flight around the world in a time of 67 hours 1 minute from February 28, 2005 until March 3, 2005... March 3, 2005 |
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