What is the highest altitude a plane has ever reached?
The official FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) altitude record is 37,650 m (123,523 ft), by Alexandr Fedotov (USSR) flying a highly modified MIG-25 ‘Foxbat’ (designated E266M) from Podmoskovnoe Aerodrome, Russia, on 31 August 1977. The altitude was reached during a near-vertical climb.
Why was MiG-25 so fast?
The airspeed indicator was redlined at Mach 2.8, with typical intercept speeds near Mach 2.5 in order to extend the service life of the engines. A MiG-25 was tracked flying over the Sinai Peninsula at Mach 3.2 in the early 1970s, but the flight led to the engines being damaged beyond repair.
What aircraft set the absolute altitude record in the mid 1930s?
To establish that record, Fedotov flew an experimental MiG-25 fighter. The aircraft was actually a MiG-25RB re-engined with the powerful R15BF2-300. Flying this aircraft he reached the record height of 123,523 feet above Podmoskovnoe, Russia.
How fast is the MiG-25 Foxbat?
3,494 km/h
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25/Top speed
What is Russia’s fastest jet?
MiG-25
The fastest fighter still in service today is the Soviet-built MiG-25. Mikoyan designed this fighter to be a pure interceptor aircraft. As a result, the Foxbat can sustain a cruising speed of Mach 2.8 and kick it into overdrive with a top speed of 3.2 — not a bad technology for an aircraft that first took off in 1964.
What records does the SR-71 Blackbird hold?
Today in 1976, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird broke the world’s record for sustained altitude in horizontal flight at 25,929 meters (85,069 feet). The same day another SR-71 set an absolute speed record of 3,529.6 kilometers per hour (2,193.2 miles per hour), approximately Mach 3.3.
What’s the highest commercial planes fly?
Most commercial aircraft are approved to fly at a maximum of around 42,000 feet. This maximum is also known as a ‘service ceiling. ‘ For example, for the double-decker Airbus A380 ‘superjumbo’ quadjet, this ceiling is 43,000 feet. Meanwhile, for the Boeing 787-8 and -9 ‘Dreamliner,’ it is 43,100 feet.
What was the altitude of the USSR 1?
On September 30, 1933, USSR-1 under Georgy Prokofiev ‘s command set an unofficial world altitude record of 18,501 meters (60,698 feet). After the crash of Osoaviakhim-1 in January 1934 USSR-1 was retrofitted with a gondola parachute and a new gas envelope. June 26, 1935 it flew again as USSR-1 Bis.
Who was the pilot who set the world altitude record?
But it’s Russian pilot Alexandr Fedotov who holds the world altitude record, set on August 31, 1977, when his MiG E-266M reached a mere 123,523 feet.
When did Fedotov set the altitude record for a jet?
On 31 August 1977, Ye-266M again flown by Fedotov, set the recognized absolute altitude record for a jet aircraft under its own power. He reached 37,650 metres (123,520 ft) at Podmoskovnoye, USSR in zoom climb (the absolute altitude record is different from the record for sustained altitude in horizontal flight).
When did Robert White set the altitude record?
On July 17, 1962, American test pilot Robert White took the X-15 to an altitude of 314,688 feet.