Ask Me Everything1

What is the

fastest piane

in the world?

The fastest airliners fly just under the speed of sound, also known as Mach 1. The aircraft that holds the world air-speed record is a spy piane called the Lockheed Blackbird, which flew at morę than three times the speed of sound.

RECORD

BREAKER

In 1976, the Blackbird set a record of 2.193 mph (3,529 kph), which remains the world air-speed record. The X-15 has gone faster, but didn’t qualify as it couldn’t take-off under its own power.

CO

ł—' •

X!

C“+

CD

CO

o

i-h

0)

o

3

3

o

3

3

O

01: Piston engine

Works like a car engine. Powers smali, slow craft.

02: Turboprop

A turbinę engine with a propeller.

03: Turbojet

The oldest and noisiest type of j et engine.

04: Turbofan

A jet engine with a big, front fan.

05: Ramjet

A jet without moving parts inside.

06: Scramjet

An advanced jet engine designed to fly at Mach 5+.

CD

<D co

IL > tO O

CO

Piane shapes

A plane’s shape and the style of its wings depends on how fast it is designed to fly.

Low subsonic

Planes that fly up to about Mach 0.5 have wings that stick straight out from their body.

High subsonic

Airliners that cruise just below the speed of sound have morę swept-back wings.

Su personie

Supersonic aircraft have wings that are swept back into a triangular “delta” shape.

Nose: Contains spy cameras and other sensors

Cockpits: Wearing spacesuits, the two-person crew sit in separate cockpits

Tell me morę: anatomy of a jet piane

c o

0^1 ^<J>

O Ml ^ O

0-^5 eTS o o ^ ^ I > o

jz c £ c k h <c X5 a ”

X

O o -O O)

< T3 1

O

*

CM

ó| |

P m u

o Bź

Sj T3 _

ii | W

3 _co co O) ⁰ 0--F

2:5 80,

■    < W

0)

o co

o to _c o O

CL =

O co

co .®.

O

DC

II

O

TO

o

CD <D O -C Q..!= I— co co

, -Q ć £ 'a o oi.ę C bS _I

OB

Ol

⁰ Ik.

CL

i— E

Blasts from the past

_

co co

TO

X

o

-C -£ c

CD

m 35 Z %

CD aj co' H 2 TO CD

I- £ bg >

O

0)

> CD

£ C O — O ffl

00

(O

0)

co

id o r

=' 5 -p o

CL O

CD

CO

<D

CD CL

O

£ £ c

.^0

10

o

o

CM

o CO Q)

^top

< 9ł CO

TO.łr co Q) '^ł—

D5 ’o CO

r>

~ -^OT CO < T3 CD

5 ° »

H 5 £

(c^!^^ucWff?p\fnaemfe^^MfftTgnT^KeseWed