
Anair speed record is the highestairspeed attained by anaircraft of a particular class. The rules for all official aviation records are defined byFédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI),[1] which also ratifies any claims. Speed records are divided into a number of classes with sub-divisions. There are three classes of aircraft: landplanes,seaplanes, andamphibians, and within these classes there are records for aircraft in a number of weight categories. There are still further subdivisions forpiston-engined,turbojet,turboprop, androcket-engined aircraft. Within each of these groups, records are defined for speed over a straight course and for closed circuits of various sizes carrying various payloads.

Gray text indicates unofficial records, including unconfirmed or unpublicized war secrets.
| Date | Pilot | Airspeed | Location | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | Aircraft | ||||
| 17 December 1903 | 6.82 | 10.98 | Wright Flyer | Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, US | This figure is ground speed, not airspeed. The Wrights' first flight covered just over 120 ft (40 m) and about 12 seconds into a gusty wind. The Wrights estimated airspeed at 31 mph (50 km/h). | |
| 5 October 1904 | 37.85 | 60.23 | Wright Flyer III | Huffman Prairie, Ohio, US | ||
| 12 November 1906 | 25.65 | 41.292 | Santos-Dumont14-bis | Bagatelle Castle, Paris, France | First officially recognized airspeed record.[2][3]: 7 | |
| 26 October 1907 | 32.73 | 52.700 | Voisin-Farman I | Issy-les-Moulineaux, France | [2][3]: 9 | |
| 25 May 1909 | 34.04 | 54.810 | Wright Model A | Pau, France | [2][3]: 11 | |
| 23 August 1909 | 44.367 | 69.821 | Curtiss No. 2 | Reims, France | 1909Gordon Bennett Cup.[2][4]: 37–38 | |
| 24 August 1909 | 46.160 | 74.318 | Blériot XI | [2][3]: 13 | ||
| 28 August 1909 | 47.823 | 76.995 | [2][3]: 13 | |||
| 23 April 1910 | 48.186 | 77.579 | Antoinette VII | Nice, France | [2][3]: 18 | |
| 10 July 1910 | 66.154 | 106.508 | Blériot | Reims, France | [2][3]: 13 | |
| 29 October 1910 | 68.171 | 109.756 | Blériot XI | New York, New York, US | [2][3]: 13 | |
| 12 April 1911 | 69.442 | 111.801 | Blériot | Pau, France | [2][3]: 14 | |
| 11 May 1911 | 73.385 | 119.760 | Nieuport IIN | Châlons, France | [2][3]: 25 | |
| 12 June 1911 | 77.640 | 125.000 | Blériot | [2] | ||
| 16 June 1911 | 80.781 | 130.057 | Nieuport IIN | Châlons, France | [2][3]: 25 | |
| 21 June 1911 | 82.693 | 133.136 | [2][3]: 25 | |||
| 13 January 1912 | 87.68 | 145.161 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Pau, France | [2][3]: 27 | |
| 22 February 1912 | 100.18 | 161.290 | [2][3]: 27 | |||
| 29 February 1912 | 100.90 | 162.454 | [2][3]: 27 | |||
| 1 March 1912 | 103.62 | 166.821 | [2][3]: 27 | |||
| 2 March 1912 | 104.29 | 167.910 | [2][3]: 27 | |||
| 13 July 1912 | 106.07 | 170.777 | Reims, France | [2][3]: 27 | ||
| 9 September 1912 | 108.14 | 174.100 | Chicago, Illinois, US | [2][3]: 27 | ||
| 17 June 1913 | 111.69 | 179.820 | Reims, France | [2][3]: 31 | ||
| 27 September 1913 | 119.19 | 191.897 | [2][3]: 31 | |||
| 29 September 1913 | 126.61 | 203.850 | [2][3]: 31 | |||
| 1914 | 134.5 | 216.5 | Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.4 | Unofficial | ||
| August 1918 | 163 | 262.3 | Curtiss Wasp | Not officially recognised.[4]: 140 | ||
| 1919 | 191.1 | 307.5 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | Not officially recognised. | ||
| 7 February 1920 | 171.0 | 275.264 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | Villacoublay, France. | [5] First official record post World War 1.[2][3]: 33 | |
| 28 February 1920 | 176.1 | 283.464 | SPAD S.20bis | [2][3]: 37 [6] | ||
| 9 October 1920 | 181.8 | 292.682 | Buc, France | [2][3]: 37 [7] | ||
| 10 October 1920 | 184.3 | 296.694 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | [2][3]: 33 | ||
| 20 October 1920 | 187.9 | 302.529 | Villacoublay, France | [2][3]: 33 | ||
| 4 November 1920 | 191.9 | 309.012 | SPAD S.XX | Buc, France | [2][8] | |
| 12 December 1920 | 194.4 | 313.043 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | Villacoublay, France | [2][3]: 33 | |
| 26 September 1921 | 205.2 | 330.275 | Nieuport-Delage Sesquiplan | Ville Sauvage, France | [3]: 39 [9] | |
| 13 October 1922 | 222.88 | 358.836 | Curtiss R | Detroit, Michigan, US | [2][10] | |
| 18 October 1922 | 224.28 | 360.93 | Curtiss R-6 | Selfridge Field, Detroit, Michigan, US | [3]: 41 [4]: 232–3 [11] | |
| 15 February 1923 | 232.91 | 375.00 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 42S | Istres, France | [10] | |
| 29 March 1923 | 236.587 | 380.74 | Curtiss R-6 | Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, US | [3]: 41 [4]: 233 [12] | |
| 2 November 1923 | 259.16 | 417.07 | Curtiss R2C-1 | Mineola, New York, US | [3]: 43 [4]: 235 | |
| 4 November 1923 | 266.59 | 429.02 | [3]: 43 [4]: 235 [13] | |||
| 11 November 1924 | 278.37 | 448.171 | Bernard-Ferbois V.2 | [2] | ||
| 4 November 1927 | 297.70 | 479.290 | Macchi M.52 seaplane | Venice, Italy | Database ID 11828[1][2] | |
| 30 March 1928 | 318.620 | 512.776 | Macchi M.52bis seaplane | Database ID 11827[1][14] | ||
| August 1929 | 362.0 | 582.6 | Macchi M.67 seaplane | Unofficial | ||
| 10 September 1929 | 336.3 | 541.4 | Gloster VI seaplane | Calshot, UK | Database ID 11829[1][15] | |
| 12 September 1929 | 357.7 | 575.5 | Supermarine S.6 seaplane | Database ID 11830[1][16] | ||
| 13 September 1931 | 407.5 | 655.8 | Lee-on-the-Solent, UK | Database ID 11831[1][17] | ||
| 10 April 1933 | 423.6 | 682.078 | Macchi M.C.72 seaplane | Desenzano del Garda, Italy | Database ID 11836[1][2] | |
| 23 October 1934 | 440.5 | 709.209 | Database ID 4497, current piston-engined seaplane speed record.[1][2] | |||
| 13 September 1935 | 354.4 | 567.12 | Hughes H-1 Racer | Santa Ana, California, US | FAI Database ID 8748[18] | |
| 11 November 1937 | 379.63 | 610.95 | Messerschmitt Bf 109 V.13 | Augsburg, Germany | FAI Database ID 8747[19] | |
| 30 March 1939 | 466.6 | 746.60 | Heinkel He 100 V8 | Oranienburg, Germany | FAI Database ID 8744[20] | |
| 26 April 1939 | 469.220 | 755.138 | Messerschmitt Me 209 V1 | Augsburg, Germany | Piston-engined recorduntil 1969[21] | |
| 2 October 1941 | 623.65 | 1,003.67 | Messerschmitt Me 163A "V4" | Peenemünde-West, Germany | Rocket powered –World War II secret, not an Official FAI record but over the 3 km (1.9 mi) FAI distance[22]: 122 [23][24] | |
| 1944 | 624 | 1,004 | Messerschmitt Me 262 S2 | Leipheim, Germany | World War II secret, not an Official FAI record. Steep dive.[22]: 122 | |
| 6 July 1944 | 702 | 1,130 | Messerschmitt Me 163B "V18" | Lagerlechfeld, Germany | Rocket powered – World War II secret, not an Official FAI record. Dive, details unknown.[22]: 122 | |
| 7 November 1945 | 606.4 | 975.9 | Gloster Meteor F Mk.4 | Herne Bay, UK | EE454Britannia, first official record post World War II.[3]: 107 [25] | |
| 7 September 1946 | 615.78 | 990.79 | Gloster Meteor F Mk.4 | Littlehampton, UK | [25] EE530, a long-span Mk 4.[3]: 107 | |
| 19 June 1947 | 623.74 | 1,003.60 | Lockheed P-80R Shooting Star | Muroc (Edwards AFB), California, US | [26] | |
| 20 August 1947 | 640.663 | 1,031.049 | Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak | First record flight to exceed secret October 1941 Me 163A V4 figure[27] | ||
| 25 August 1947 | 650.796 | 1,047.356 | [27] | |||
| 14 October 1947 | 670.0 | 1,078 | Bell X-1 (flight #50) | Muroc, California, US | Rocket powered –Cold War secret, not an official FAI C-1 record | |
| 6 November 1947 | 891.0 | 1,434 | Bell X-1 (flight #58) | Muroc, California, US | Rocket powered – Cold War secret, not an official FAI C-1 record, first to exceed secret July 1944 Me 163B V18 record | |
| 15 September 1948 | 670.84 | 1,079.6 | North American F-86A-3 Sabre | Cleveland, Ohio, US | [2][28] | |
| 18 November 1952 | 698.505 | 1,124.13 | North American F-86D Sabre | Salton Sea, California, US | [29] | |
| 16 July 1953 | 715.745 | 1,151.88 | North American F-86D Sabre | Salton Sea, California, US | [30] | |
| 7 September 1953 | 727.6 | 1,171 | Hawker Hunter Mk.3 | Littlehampton, UK | [31] | |
| 26 September 1953 | 735.7 | 1,184 | Supermarine Swift F4 | Castel Idris,Tripoli, Libya | [32] | |
| 3 October 1953 | 752.9 | 1,211.5 | Douglas F4D Skyray | Salton Sea, California, US | [33] | |
| 29 October 1953 | 755.1 | 1,215.3 | North American F-100 Super Sabre | Salton Sea, California, US | ||
| 20 August 1955 | 822.1 | 1,323 | North American F-100C Super Sabre | Palmdale, California, US | ||
| 10 March 1956 | 1,132 | 1,822 | Fairey Delta 2 | Chichester, UK | [34] | |
| 12 December 1957 | 1,207.6 | 1,943.5 | McDonnell F-101A Voodoo | Muroc, California, US | [35] | |
| 16 May 1958 | 1,404.012 | 2,259.538 | Lockheed YF-104A Starfighter | [3]: 147 [36] | ||
| 5 October 1959 | 1,441.6 | 2,320 | Nord 1500 Griffon | France | [37] | |
| 31 October 1959 | 1,484 | 2,388 | Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-6/3 or Ye-66 | USSR | [38] | |
| 15 December 1959 | 1,525.9 | 2,455.7 | Convair F-106 Delta Dart | Muroc, California, US | The record should have gone to civilian (former military) pilotCharles Myers, who flew a Delta Dart at 2,485 kilometres per hour (1,544 mph) in 1959, but Cold War pressures dictated that the award go to an active-military pilot.[39][40][41] | |
| 22 November 1961 | 1,606.3 | 2,585.1 | McDonnell-Douglas F4H-1F Phantom II | Muroc, California, US | [3]: 165 [42] | |
| 7 July 1962 | 1,665.9 | 2,681 | Mikoyan Gurevich Ye-166 | USSR | [43][44] Name adopted for record attempt, a version of aYe-152 a.k.a. E-166.[3]: 179 | |
| 1 May 1965 | and Daniel Andre | 2,070.1 | 3,331.5 | Lockheed YF-12A | Muroc, California, US | [45] |
| 28 July 1976 | Maj. George T. Morgan Jr. (RSO) | 2,193.2 | 3,529.6 | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird #61-7958 | Beale AFB, US | [46] |
TheLockheed SR-71 Blackbird holds the official air speed record for a crewedairbreathing jet engine aircraft with a speed of 3,529.6 km/h (2,193.2 mph). The record was set on 28 July 1976 byEldon W. Joersz and George T. Morgan Jr. near Beale Air Force Base,California,USA. It was able to take off and land unassisted on conventional runways.[47] SR-71 pilotBrian Shul claimed inThe Untouchables that he flew faster thanMach 3.5 on 15 April 1986, overLibya, in order to avoid amissile.[48]
The official record for fastest piston-engined aeroplane in level flight was held by aGrumman F8F Bearcat, theRare Bear, with a speed of 850.23 km/h (528.31 mph). The unofficial record is held by a BritishHawker Sea Fury at 880 km/h (547 mph). Both were demilitarised and modified fighters. The fastest stock (original, factory-built) piston-engined aeroplane was unofficially theSupermarine Spiteful F Mk 16, which "achieved a speed of 494m.p.h. at 28,500ft during official tests at Boscombe Down" in level flight.[49] The unofficial record for fastest piston-engined aeroplane (not in level flight) is held by aSupermarine Spitfire Mk.XIX flown by Flight LieutenantEdward "Ted" Powles, which was calculated to have achieved a speed of 1,110 km/h (690 mph) in a dive on 5 February 1952.
The last new speed record ratified beforeWorld War II was set on 26 April 1939 with aMe 209 V1, at 755 km/h (469 mph). The chaos and secrecy of the war meant that new speed breakthroughs were neither publicized nor ratified. In October 1941, an unofficial speed record of 1,004 km/h (624 mph) was secretly set by aMesserschmitt Me 163A "V4" rocket aircraft. Continued research during the war extended the secret, unofficial speed record to 1,130 km/h (700 mph) by July 1944, achieved by aMesserschmitt Me 163B "V18". The first new official record in the post-war period was achieved by aGloster Meteor F Mk.4 in November 1945, at 975 km/h (606 mph). The first aircraft to exceed the unofficial October 1941 record of the Me 163A V4 was theDouglas D-558-1 Skystreak, which achieved 1,032 km/h (641 mph) in August 1947. The July 1944 unofficial record of the Me 163B V18 was officially surpassed in November 1947, whenChuck Yeager flew theBell X-1 to 1,434 km/h (891 mph).
The official speed record for aseaplane moved by piston engine is 709.209 km/h (440.682 mph), which attained on 24 October 1934, byFrancesco Agello in theMacchi-Castoldi M.C.72 seaplane ("idrocorsa") and it remains the current record.[50] It was equipped with theFiat AS.6 engine (version 1934) developing a power of 2,300 kW (3,100 hp) at 3,300 rpm, with coaxial counter-rotating propellers. The original record holding Macchi-Castoldi M.C.72 MM.181 seaplane is at the Air Force Museum atVigna di Valle in Italy.
| Date | Pilot | Airspeed | Aircraft | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||
| 2 October 1985 | Holger Rochelt | 27.54 | 44.32 | Musculair 2 | Fastest human-powered aircraft[51] |
| 22 December 2006 | Klaus Ohlmann & Matias Garcia Mazzaro | 190.6 | 306.8 | Schempp-Hirth Nimbus-4DM | Fastest (non-powered)glider over 500 km[52] |
| 11 August 1986 | Trevor Egginton | 249 | 400.87 | Westland Lynx | Fastest helicopter[53][54][55] |
| 31 December 1988 | L.P. Krantov | 258.8 | 415 | Tupolev Tu-134A | Highest landing speed for a civil aircraft[56] |
| 11 June 2013 | Hervé Jammayrac | 293 | 472 | Eurocopter X3 | Fastest propellercompound helicopter[57] |
| 15 September 2010 | Kevin Bredenbeck | 299 | 481 | Sikorsky X2 | Fastest compound helicopter, shallow dive (unofficial)[58] |
| 19 March 1989 | Unknown pilot | 316 | 509 | Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey[59][60] | Tiltrotor |
| 15 April 1969 | Unknown pilot | 316 | 509 | Bell 533 | Compound jet helicopter[61][62] |
| 19 November 2021 | Steve Jones | 345.4 | 555.9 | Rolls-Royce Accel ‘Spirit of Innovation’ | Fastest electric-only aeroplane[63] |
| 11 Dec 2025 | Luke Maximo Bell | 408.6 | 657.6 | Peregreen 4 | Fastest electric flight[64] |
| 6 February 2003 | Joseph J. Ritchie,Steve Fossett | 576.3 | 927.4 | Piaggio P.180 Avanti | Fastest propeller-driven aircraft of any type.[65] |
| 2 September 2017 | Steve Hinton Jr. | 531.53 | 855.41 | P-51"Voodoo" | Fastest straight-line piston-engined aircraft in level flight[66][67] |
| 9 April 1960 | Ivan Sukhomlin, Konstantin Sapielkine | 545.07 | 877.21 | Tupolev Tu-114 | Fastest propeller-driven airliner-size aircraft, perFAI.[68] |
| 5 February 1952 | Flight LieutenantEdward Powles | 690 | 1,110.4 | Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIX PS852 | Reached (Mach 0.96) during an emergency dive while carrying out spying flights over China, the highest speed ever recorded for a piston-engined aircraft (though not in level flight).[69] |
| 14 October 2012 | Felix Baumgartner | 844 | 1,358 | None (jumped from ahelium balloon gondola) | Fastest unpowered descent of a human[70][71] |
| 7 February 1996 | Captain Leslie Scott | 1,249 | 2,010 | Concorde | Fastest passenger plane on a regular route[72] |
| 3 October 1967 | William 'Pete' Knight | 4,519 | 7,274 | North American X-15 | Rocket plane[73] |
| 16 November 2004 | Uncrewed | 6,755 | 10,870 | NASA X-43A | Air-launchedhypersonicscramjet; fastest free-flying air-breathing vehicle[74] |
| 22 April 2010 | Uncrewed | 13,201 | 21,245 | HTV-2 Falcon | Air-launched hypersonicglider; fastest uncrewed aerial vehicle[75] |
| 14 November 1981 | Joe H. Engle | 17,500 | 28,000 | Space Shuttle Columbia | Fastest manually controlled flight in atmosphere duringatmospheric reentry ofSTS-2 mission. |
| 15 November 1988 | Uncrewed | 18,019 | 29,000 | Buran | The fastest unmanned (but capable of carrying up to 8-10 people) spaceplane ever built,[citation needed] weighing 100 tons or more. |
Flying between any two airports allow a large number ofcombinations, so setting a speed record ("speed over a recognised course") is fairly easy with anordinary aircraft, although there are many administrative requirements for recognition.[76][77][78]