Fastest of the Fast: A Look at Speedy Aircraft

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article presents a curated list of various aircraft, highlighting some of the fastest in their respective classes.
Each featured aircraft includes its top speed, showcasing a range from propeller planes and helicopters to commercial jets, supersonic transport, and hypersonic experimental vehicles.
Examples span from the Cessna TTx (235 knots) and Piaggio Avanti II (fastest turboprop at 400 knots) to the supersonic Concorde (Mach 2.04) and the hypersonic North American X-15A-2 (Mach 6+).

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Get a quick glance at some of the fastest aircraft in their class.

Cessna TTx Top speed: 235 knots Masks need to be on at 25,000 feet.

Eurocopter X3 Top speed: 255 knots Is this the future of vertical flight?

Piaggio Avanti II Top speed: 400 knots Tri-surface fuel miser is fastest turboprop.

Bombardier Global 6000 Top speed: Mach .89 Jet becomes 6,000 nm cruiser at slower speeds.

Boeing 747 Top speed: Mach .92 After nearly 50 years, this jumbo still wows.

Cessna Citation X Top speed: Mach .935 Midsize speedster will nudge G650 by a hair.

Concorde Top speed: Mach 2.04 The civil speed king is no longer flying.

North American X-15A-2 Top speed: Mach 6+ Hourly operating costs are classified.

Aurora We would tell you how fast, but the NSA might be reading.

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