The Fastest Manned Aircraft Flight Ever

[A Guy]

It flew at nearly Mach 7, seven times the speed of sound and twice the speed of a rifle bullet. The speed record it set 47 years ago today still stands today.

It flew so high its pilots earned Air Force astronaut wings: 280,500 feet or 53.1 miles above the earth.

It pioneered technologies that were used on the SR-71 Blackbird, the space shuttle and the reusable spacecraft in Richard Branson’s future Virgin Galactic passenger space program.

And it killed test pilots in an era before redundant flight control systems and modern safety protocols for hypersonic flight.

It was the North American X-15. Today is the 47th anniversary of its fastest ever manned, powered flight.

Source

A Guy

 

[indianacarnie]

Now THAT was a good interesting read! Thanks Bill .

 

[Ranger4]

That's about 5250 mph.
Or 7700 feet per second, or 1.4583 miles per second.

 

[Arelem]

When I was a kid, I thought the X-15 was the coolest plane ever. I must have built half a dozen models of it.

 

[Layback Bear]

I built many models as a young person. All but one were cars. That one was the X-15.

Thanks Bill that was a great reminder.

 

[jadinolf]

Great read Bill.

Thanks