What is the speed of the plane? Revealing the speed difference between civil aviation and fighter jets
Recently, the topic of flight speed has sparked heated discussions on social media. Especially with the commercial maiden flight of the domestically produced large aircraft C919 and the debut of new fighter jets, the public's attention to aircraft speed has increased significantly. This article will combine the hot topics on the Internet in the past 10 days and use structured data to analyze the speed differences of different types of aircraft for you.
1. Civil aviation passenger aircraft speed rankings
| Model | Cruising speed (km/h) | Maximum speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-8 | 913 | 988 |
| Airbus A380 | 902 | 1020 |
| C919 | 828 | 903 |
| Boeing 737 | 785 | 876 |
Data shows that the current cruising speed of mainstream wide-body passenger aircraft is generally around 900km/h, which is equivalent to 1/4 of the earth’s linear speed of rotation. It is worth noting that although the domestic C919 is positioned as a medium-sized passenger aircraft, its speed performance is close to the international mainstream level.
2. Comparison of military aircraft speeds
| Model | Type | Maximum speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| SR-71 Blackbird | reconnaissance aircraft | 3529 |
| MiG-25 | Interceptor | 3000 |
| F-22 Raptor | fighter | 2410 |
| J-20 | fighter | 2100 |
The speed of military aircraft far exceeds that of civilian airliners. Among them, the reconnaissance aircraft SR-71 holds the speed record for manned aircraft. The sixth-generation fighter concept, which has been hotly discussed in military forums recently, is expected to break the current speed limit.
3. Key factors affecting flight speed
1.Aerodynamic design: Modern passenger aircraft adopt supercritical wing design to reduce shock wave drag
2.Engine thrust: LEAP-1C engine provides 27,980 pounds of thrust for the C919
3.flight altitude: Every time the cruising altitude increases by 1000 meters, the speed can increase by about 2%
4.Loading status: The speed at full load is usually 5-8% lower than at no load
4. Balance between speed and fuel efficiency
| Speed range (km/h) | fuel efficiency | Applicable scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| 700-800 | Best | Regional flights |
| 800-900 | good | Domestic trunk line |
| 900-950 | Average | international routes |
| 950+ | Poor | emergency |
Airlines often look for a balance between speed and fuel economy. The recent fluctuations in international oil prices have made "economic cruising speed" a hot topic in the industry.
5. Future aircraft speed development
1.supersonic airliner: The Boom Overture project is expected to be put into operation in 2029, with a speed of 2335km/h.
2.hypersonic flight: NASA’s X-59 silent supersonic technology demonstrator has completed testing
3.electric aviation: The current speed of electric aircraft is limited to about 300km/h, but a breakthrough in battery technology is imminent.
4.space travel: Virgin Galactic’s suborbital flight can reach speeds of more than 4,000km per hour
Judging from the current technological development trends, the civil aviation field is moving from the pure pursuit of speed to a new stage of comprehensive optimization of speed, environmental protection and comfort. Military aviation continues to break through physical limits. The recently exposed US NGAD project is said to have a target speed of Mach 6 (approximately 7344km/h).
Whether it is civil aviation travel or military defense, flight speed has always been one of the core indicators of aviation technology. With the development of new materials and propulsion systems, we may witness major breakthroughs in aviation speed over the next decade.
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