It Sure Seems Like Darkstar, Lockheed's Secret High-Speed Jet, Is Real. The long-rumored SR-71 successor—last seen in Top Gun: Maverick—may be legit after all. Darkstar, the secretive, ultrafast jet supposedly being developed for the U.S. military, may have gotten another shred of confirmation that it actually exists.
The service will spend almost $20 billion over five years to develop Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), its secret new sixth-generation fighter jet and future replacement for the F-22 Raptor. NGAD will also be the first aircraft program conceived from the start as a combination of both manned and unmanned aircraft.
That includes “Darkstar,” the reusable, piloted hypersonic aircraft flown by Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick. The airplane used in the movie is now on display at the Palm Springs Air Museum in California. For the unfamiliar, Top Gun: Maverick is set 30 years after the original film.
Mach 10 is a feat that has been previously accomplished by a manless aircraft called X-43A, developed by NASA as an experimental aircraft to test hypersonic speeds. Mach 10 is approximately a speed of 3.43 kilometers per second or 12,348 kilometers per hour, which translates to 7,680 miles per hour.
A ghost plane (a term sometimes used interchangeably with ghost flight) may refer to: Rendition aircraft, an aircraft used by national governments to move prisoners internationally. Ghost flight (commercial aviation), an empty or near-empty flight carried out to preserve a landing slot.
The E-4B is based on the Boeing 747 aircraft and is operated by the US Air Force. It serves as a flying command post for the president, secretary of defense, and other key government and military officials during times of crisis.
In the Top Gun sequel's opening scene, Maverick pilots an experimental aircraft that doesn't exist in real life. However, there are things that are comparable. Both the SR-71 and the rumored SR-72 could reach altitudes of over 80,000ft, where the speed of sound is lower than it is at sea level.
The Top Gun team made a logical choice. After all, the fictional SR-72 “Darkstar” hypersonic aircraft is meant as a follow-on to the SR-71, which the Skunk Works also developed.
The jet model seen in Top Gun: Maverick's ending is never explicitly named onscreen, although "Su-57" can be glimpsed on a whiteboard seen in the background of a briefing scene. The Sukhoi Su-57 is a real-life fifth-generation fighter jet developed by the Russian manufacturer, Sukhoi.
The SR-71 was a top secret reconnaissance plane that flew throughout the Cold War, serving from its maiden flight in 1964 until its final retirement in 1999. Nicknamed the Blackbird, the plane boasted speeds in excess of Mach 3 (2,300 mph) and heights that took it well into the stratosphere.
Reports indicate that the SR-72 might have a speed of Mach 6. No other aircraft in aviation history—spaceships not included—has even approached such speeds. Mach 6 translates into more than 4,100 miles per hour.
The fastest fighter jet ever created was the NASA/USAF X-15. It was an experimental aircraft that resembled more of a rocket with wings but managed to reach a record 4,520mph. The fastest fighter jet in the world today is the MiG-25 Foxbat, with a top speed of 2,190mph, half the speed of the X-15.
Despite its crucial role in transporting a head of state and other US officials, the VC-25 does not carry any weapons, instead focusing heavily on defense.
Air Force One, a Boeing 747 reserved for use by the president of the United States, flying over Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. Air Force One, any aircraft of the U.S. Air Force that is carrying the president of the United States.
The Air Force currently operates four E-4B aircraft with at least one on alert at all times. The fleet of highly-modified Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets has become increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain as parts become obsolete. The E-4B is expected to reach the end of its service life in the early 2030s.
They've been called Angels of Death: AC-130 gunships. The heavily armed stuff of nightmares for adversaries and the close-air support guardian angels of allies.
Grey is a neutral color that offers a high level of contrast against both the sky and the aircraft's fuselage. This contrast makes it easier for ground personnel, air traffic controllers, and other pilots to visually identify the aircraft's wings during various operations, including taxiing, takeoff, and landing.
The Indian MiG-21 is known less for its mediocre-at-best air combat records and more for its high crash rate. To date, more than 400 MiG-21 aircrafts have crashed killing more than 200 pilots, leading it to be aptly dubbed as a “flying coffin” and “widow maker” in the public and in aviation circles.
Well, the Mach number is defined as the ratio of the velocity of a body relative to the Speed-of-Sound under the local atmospheric conditions. So, Mach 100 would be about 74,110 mph (miles per hour).
