You know the MiG-25, and you’ve heard of the SR-71, but are you familiar with the fastest aircraft ever to fly through (and sometimes outside) our atmosphere? If not, meet the North American X-15, which is somewhere between a traditional plane and a rocket! The hypersonic vehicle has reached a top speed of 4,520 MPH prior to its retirement in 1968.
Designed for near-space flight and to pioneer manned spaceflight, the X-15 reached space in flights 90 and 91, both piloted by Joseph A. Walker. Here’s a video of the craft in flight, check it out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR5SYp948kw