The Fastest of the Fast Jets

[F3]

Am currently working on a new book on Fast Jet Displays to be published next year and so wondered which were actually the fastest so here's my Top Ten. You maybe surprised by what's in there and probably more so by what's not. I certainly was! Having never managed to log a MiG-25 Foxbat the poor quality image is taken from a Luftwaffe aircraft recognition manual. If anyone has a decent pic of one in flight taken at an air show I'd be interested in including it in the book. Anyway, enjoy.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - 2000 mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

MiG-25 Foxbat 1865 mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle - 1670 mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

F111 1670 mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Mirage 2000 - 1550 mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Grumman F-14B Tomcat - 1540 mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

MiG-23 Flogger - 1520 mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

MiG-29 1518 m ph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Lightning - 1500mph by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker - 1500 mph (1) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

[tommc]

Probably better if you use a picture of an Su-27 to illustrate an Su-27, rather than a picture of a MiG-29.

[Sparts99]

Has a MiG 25 ever flown at a display outside Russia? This could spark quite a good debate, as you say the omissions are interesting, no F-22, no Starfighter, no F3 Tornado.

[F3]

Probably better if you use a picture of an Su-27 to illustrate an Su-27, rather than a picture of a MiG-29.

Oops. Sorry about the deliberate mistake included to test yr aircraft recognition skills which, quickly spotted, has been rectified.

[roughcutter]

Has a MiG 25 ever flown at a display outside Russia?

The nearest I can come to was the MiG-31 Foxhound, that appeared in the static at Farnborough 92 - when the Ruskies invaded I would dearly love to see a Foxbat, are they all gone now?

[Timmo]

I'm fairly sure that I read somewhere that the Mirage 2000 quoted top speed at altitude was mach 2.2 or 1453mph. Interestingly the same as the Tornado F3.

[Vulcanone]

Has a MiG 25 ever flown at a display outside Russia?

The nearest I can come to was the MiG-31 Foxhound, that appeared in the static at Farnborough 92 - when the Ruskies invaded I would dearly love to see a Foxbat, are they all gone now?

I suspect the closest anyone might have been to seeing anything like a MiG-25 displayed, would have been the ones based in East Germany as the Soviets (sorry Russia) withdrew. II know they were base there until the early 90s. Bulgaria, India and Iraq (wonder if they dug them all out....!) bought some. But all long gone now unless they still have some at any of the Russian AF test bases.

I have a vague notion the MiG-31 that was at Paris in 1991 and then Farnborough in 1992 may have displayed at the former

[mancman]

Here's a Mig 25 preserved in Moscow at the Central Armed Forces Museum. Everything was packed in pretty tight so it was difficult to get a decent shot of it.

Mig 25 Foxbat Central Armed Forces Museum Moscow by Andy Bird, on Flickr

and a slightly better angle but with a Delphin in front of it.

L-29 Delphin Central Armed Foces Museum Moscow by Andy Bird, on Flickr

I've also added in a derivative, the Mig 31, from a visit to Farnborough.

374 Mig 31 Russian AF Sept 1992 Farnborough by Andy Bird, on Flickr

[F3]

Thanks for those Andy. Pretty damn good, esp that last one which, as it appeared @ Farnborough, surely merits inclusion in the book.

[F3]

Further research, occasioned by the excellent feedback has led me to revise the Top Ten. I was mistaken in assuming the MiG-25 Foxbat and MiG-31 Foxhound to be essentially the same a/c developed for different roles as with the MiG-23/27 Flogger but apparently not the case. According to the '92 edn of Observers Aircraft the MiG-31 "evolved from the '60s technology MiG-25 but possessed no commonality with it". With a top speed of 1,868 (Mach 2.8) this replaces its predecessor @ #2 in the Top Ten which drops to #3. The F-15 and F-111 drop to #4 and 5 and the Mirage 2000 drops out completely as its top speed is actually only 1485 mph (Mach 2.25). Despite the initial errors I'm now confident that we've arrived at the definitive Top Ten of the Fastest Military A/c and I hope you'll agree that it's been a useful exercise and provoked some interesting debate. I've certainly learned a few things from it. Every day's a school day even for a Grandad! Thanks for yr contributions esp Andy for the pics.