No matter how powerful the engineers make hypercars or superbikes, no matter how big the engines are or aerodynamic the bodies of the vehicles are, they will never be able to reach the same speeds as modern jet aircraft.

There are a few different reasons for this: much larger engines, far less wind resistance, superior fuel, and more. Some of the first speed records set were done in aircraft, and to this day they remain the most powerful and speedy vehicles that we have ever been able to create.

These are the fastest jet aircraft that we have ever put in the air, and each one represents the pinnacle of modern engineering and innovation.

MIG-25 Foxbat

The Foxbat was a machine first conceived in the Soviet Union and was designed as an intercept aircraft to counter the American air force during the Cold War. It was specifically created to intercept the Sr-71 Blackbird, a truly magnificent jet that remains one of the fastest aircraft of all time, meaning that the Foxbat is no slouch by any means. Unlike the Blackbird, however, the Foxbat entered the air fully armed with four air to air missiles, which were designed to take down the Blackbird. Despite the preparations and armaments, the Foxbat was never able to use its weapons to destroy a Blackbird. The Foxbat was able to reach speeds as high as Mach 3.2

Bell X-2 Starbuster

This research aircraft was designed and manufactured in America and saw its first flight take place in 1955, after which it was retired just a year later. It was the continuation of the famous X-2 program, and it was used by researchers to see what happened to aircraft that flew at speeds higher than Mach 2.0. It did not carry any weaponry and was designed with a back swept wing which meant that it had very little air resistance. This allowed the Starbuster to reach speeds of Mach 3.1 in 1956, which was totally unheard of at the time of testing and remains a high speed even by today’s terms.

SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71A Blackbird is an aircraft that can still often be found on the wall of teenage boys alongside their favourite Ferraris, and this is because the Blackbird remains the fastest jet-powered, fully capable aircraft ever made, and watching one fly past would be enough entertainment for all watching. The Blackbird was designed as a reconnaissance vehicle and was used extensively for a variety of different experiments that pushed jet technology to entirely new limits. Not only was it incredibly fast, but it was designed with stealth technology that made it almost impossible to detect; it’s sleep shape and dark colouring made it extremely difficult for radars to pick it up flying past, and it was capable of outrunning most of the surface to air missiles that were fired its way.

The Blackbird was so fast, in fact, that it was pieced together by individual pieces of metal, as the speeds it flew at meant its metal expanded greatly as they reached hundreds of degrees.