World Airspeed Record Progression (1906–1976)
How the world airspeed record climbed from 25.7 mph in 1906 to 2,193 mph in 1976 — the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird's absolute mark, the fastest officially recorded speed by a piloted air-breathing aircraft.
Data
| # | Aircraft | Date | Pilot | Speed (mph) | Speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santos-Dumont 14-bis | Nov 1906 | Alberto Santos-Dumont | 25.65 | 41.292 |
| 2 | Voisin-Farman I | Oct 1907 | Henri Farman | 32.73 | 52.7 |
| 3 | Wright Model A | May 1909 | Paul Tissandier | 34.04 | 54.81 |
| 4 | Curtiss No. 2 | Aug 1909 | Glenn Curtiss | 44.367 | 69.821 |
| 5 | Blériot XI | Aug 1909 | Louis Blériot | 46.16 | 74.318 |
| 6 | Blériot XI | Aug 1909 | Louis Blériot | 47.823 | 76.995 |
| 7 | Antoinette VII | Apr 1910 | Hubert Latham | 48.186 | 77.579 |
| 8 | Blériot | Jul 1910 | Léon Morane | 66.154 | 106.508 |
| 9 | Blériot XI | Oct 1910 | Alfred Leblanc | 68.171 | 109.756 |
| 10 | Blériot | Apr 1911 | Alfred Leblanc | 69.442 | 111.801 |
| 11 | Nieuport IIN | May 1911 | Édouard Nieuport | 73.385 | 119.76 |
| 12 | Blériot | Jun 1911 | Alfred Leblanc | 77.64 | 125 |
| 13 | Nieuport IIN | Jun 1911 | Édouard Nieuport | 80.781 | 130.057 |
| 14 | Nieuport IIN | Jun 1911 | Édouard Nieuport | 82.693 | 133.136 |
| 15 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Jan 1912 | Jules Védrines | 87.68 | 145.161 |
| 16 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Feb 1912 | Jules Védrines | 100.18 | 161.29 |
| 17 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Feb 1912 | Jules Védrines | 100.9 | 162.454 |
| 18 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Mar 1912 | Jules Védrines | 103.62 | 166.821 |
| 19 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Mar 1912 | Jules Védrines | 104.29 | 167.91 |
| 20 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Jul 1912 | Jules Védrines | 106.07 | 170.777 |
| 21 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Sep 1912 | Jules Védrines | 108.14 | 174.1 |
| 22 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Jun 1913 | Maurice Prévost | 111.69 | 179.82 |
| 23 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Sep 1913 | Maurice Prévost | 119.19 | 191.897 |
| 24 | Deperdussin Monocoque | Sep 1913 | Maurice Prévost | 126.61 | 203.85 |
| 25 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | Feb 1920 | Joseph Sadi-Lecointe | 171 | 275.264 |
| 26 | SPAD S.20bis | Feb 1920 | Jean Casale | 176.1 | 283.464 |
| 27 | SPAD S.20bis | Oct 1920 | Bernard de Romanet | 181.8 | 292.682 |
| 28 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | Oct 1920 | Joseph Sadi-Lecointe | 184.3 | 296.694 |
| 29 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | Oct 1920 | Joseph Sadi-Lecointe | 187.9 | 302.529 |
| 30 | SPAD S.XX | Nov 1920 | Bernard de Romanet | 191.9 | 309.012 |
| 31 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 29V | Dec 1920 | Joseph Sadi-Lecointe | 194.4 | 313.043 |
| 32 | Nieuport-Delage Sesquiplan | Sep 1921 | Joseph Sadi-Lecointe | 205.2 | 330.275 |
| 33 | Curtiss R | Oct 1922 | Billy Mitchell | 222.88 | 358.836 |
| 34 | Curtiss R-6 | Oct 1922 | Billy Mitchell | 224.28 | 360.93 |
| 35 | Nieuport-Delage NiD 42S | Feb 1923 | Joseph Sadi-Lecointe | 232.91 | 375 |
| 36 | Curtiss R-6 | Mar 1923 | 1st Lt. Russell L. Maughan | 236.587 | 380.74 |
| 37 | Curtiss R2C-1 | Nov 1923 | Lt. Harold J. Brow | 259.16 | 417.07 |
| 38 | Curtiss R2C-1 | Nov 1923 | Lt. Alford J. Williams | 266.59 | 429.02 |
| 39 | Bernard-Ferbois V.2 | Nov 1924 | Florentin Bonnet [fr] | 278.37 | 448.171 |
| 40 | Macchi M.52 seaplane | Nov 1927 | Mario de Bernardi | 297.7 | 479.29 |
| 41 | Macchi M.52bis seaplane | Mar 1928 | Mario de Bernardi | 318.62 | 512.776 |
| 42 | Gloster VI seaplane | Sep 1929 | George H. Stainforth | 336.3 | 541.4 |
| 43 | Supermarine S.6 seaplane | Sep 1929 | Augustus Orlebar | 357.7 | 575.5 |
| 44 | Supermarine S.6 seaplane | Sep 1931 | George H. Stainforth | 407.5 | 655.8 |
| 45 | Macchi M.C.72 seaplane | Apr 1933 | Francesco Agello | 423.6 | 682.078 |
| 46 | Macchi M.C.72 seaplane | Oct 1934 | Francesco Agello | 440.5 | 709.209 |
| 47 | Hughes H-1 Racer | Sep 1935 | Howard Hughes | 354.4 | 567.12 |
| 48 | Messerschmitt Bf 109 V.13 | Nov 1937 | Dr. Hermann Wurster | 379.63 | 610.95 |
| 49 | Heinkel He 100 V8 | Mar 1939 | Hans Dieterle | 466.6 | 746.6 |
| 50 | Messerschmitt Me 209 V1 | Apr 1939 | Fritz Wendel | 469.22 | 755.138 |
| 51 | Gloster Meteor F Mk.4 | Nov 1945 | H. J. Wilson | 606.4 | 975.9 |
| 52 | Gloster Meteor F Mk.4 | Sep 1946 | Edward Mortlock Donaldson | 615.78 | 990.79 |
| 53 | Lockheed P-80R Shooting Star | Jun 1947 | Col. Albert Boyd | 623.74 | 1003.6 |
| 54 | Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak | Aug 1947 | Major Marion Eugene Carl USMC | 650.796 | 1047.36 |
| 55 | North American F-86A-3 Sabre | Sep 1948 | Maj. Richard L. Johnson, USAF | 670.84 | 1079.6 |
| 56 | North American F-86D Sabre | Nov 1952 | J. Slade Nash | 698.505 | 1124.13 |
| 57 | North American F-86D Sabre | Jul 1953 | William Barnes | 715.745 | 1151.88 |
| 58 | Hawker Hunter Mk.3 | Sep 1953 | Neville Duke | 727.6 | 1171 |
| 59 | Supermarine Swift F4 | Sep 1953 | Mike Lithgow | 735.7 | 1184 |
| 60 | Douglas F4D Skyray | Oct 1953 | James B. Verdin, US Navy | 752.9 | 1211.5 |
| 61 | North American F-100 Super Sabre | Oct 1953 | Frank K. Everest USAF | 755.1 | 1215.3 |
| 62 | North American F-100C Super Sabre | Aug 1955 | Horace A. Hanes | 822.1 | 1323 |
| 63 | Fairey Delta 2 | Mar 1956 | Peter Twiss | 1132 | 1822 |
| 64 | McDonnell F-101A Voodoo | Dec 1957 | USAF | 1207.6 | 1943.5 |
| 65 | Lockheed YF-104A Starfighter | May 1958 | Capt. Walt Wayne Irwin, USF | 1404.01 | 2259.54 |
| 66 | Nord 1500 Griffon | Oct 1959 | Maj. André Turcat | 1441.6 | 2320 |
| 67 | Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-6/3 or Ye-66 | Oct 1959 | Col. Georgi Mosolov | 1484 | 2388 |
| 68 | Convair F-106 Delta Dart | Dec 1959 | Maj. Joseph Rogers, USAF | 1525.9 | 2455.7 |
| 69 | McDonnell-Douglas F4H-1F Phantom II | Nov 1961 | Robert B. Robinson, US Navy | 1606.3 | 2585.1 |
| 70 | Mikoyan Gurevich Ye-166 | Jul 1962 | Col. Georgi Mosolov | 1665.9 | 2681 |
| 71 | Lockheed YF-12A | May 1965 | Robert L. Stephensand Daniel Andre | 2070.1 | 3331.5 |
| 72 | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird #61-7958 | Jul 1976 | Capt. Eldon W. Joersz (P) and Maj. George T. Morgan Jr. (RSO) | 2193.2 | 3529.6 |