Limits RegistryPUBLIC RECORD
Limits RegistryUSAF test pilot Maj. William "Pete" Knight flew the rocket-powered North American X-15A-2 to 7,274 km/h (Mach 6.7) on October 3, 1967, over California. It remains unbroken as of 2026, nearly six decades on.
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USAF test pilot Maj. William "Pete" Knight flew the rocket-powered North American X-15A-2 to 7,274 km/h (Mach 6.7) on October 3, 1967, over California. It remains unbroken as of 2026, nearly six decades on.
The highest airspeed ever reached by a crewed, powered, winged aircraft, regardless of launch method (distinct from the FAI's runway-to-runway airspeed record, a narrower category held by the SR-71 at 3,529.56 km/h).
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Limits Registry. LR-AIRCRAFT-SPEED. Fastest crewed aircraft. 2026.