MiG-25
One of the early jet fighters that can be counted among the fastest jets ever designed was the MiG-25. The Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich airframe made extensive use of stainless steel, as a typical aluminum airframe would not have been able to cope with the stresses at the high speeds the MiG-25 was intended for. The airframe’s more robust steel construction came at a cost, however. The MiG-25 was a beast of a plane and tipped the scales at about 64,000 pounds without fuel or a full weapons load out adversely affecting flight performance.
The heavy airplane was intended to be the Soviet Union’s premiere interceptor, and although it could achieve Mach 2.8 speeds, Soviet pilots were advised to not fly over Mach 2.5 in order to extend engine life. Still, one Mig-25 was tracked at Mach 3.2 over the Sinai Peninsula. The record flight came at a cost, however. After the flight, the airframe’s engines had to be written off.
The Cold War de Havilland Vampire: A Super Fighter?
Developed during World War II to take advantage of jet propulsion, the Vampire proved to be a unique-looking aircraft featuring a twin-boom design with an “egg-shaped” wood/aluminum fuselage.
The early Cold War saw a massive leap forward in aviation technology, and this resulted in revolutionary aircraft including the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighter jet and United States’ Republic F-84 Thunderjet. Each of those fighter jets saw service in the Korean War and proved to be important stepping stones to even more advanced aircraft, but there was a less remembered contemporary: Great Britain’s de Havilland Vampire.