How many kilometers per hour does the plane travel? Revealing the speed difference between civil aviation and fighter jets
Recently, the topic of aircraft speed has sparked heated discussions on social media. Whether it is the cruising speed of civil aviation airliners or the ultimate speed of fighter jets, they have become the focus of discussion among netizens. This article will combine the popular data from the entire network in the past 10 days to analyze the speed differences of different types of aircraft in a structured way.
1. Typical speed of civil aviation aircraft

The speed of civil aviation aircraft is usually based on cruising speed (economic speed). The following is the comparison data of mainstream models:
| Model | Cruising speed (km/h) | Maximum speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737 | 828 | 876 |
| Airbus A380 | 900 | 1020 |
| Boeing 787 | 913 | 954 |
2. The speed ceiling of fighter jets
Compared with civil aviation, the speed performance of fighter jets is even more amazing. The speed data of the Russian "Dagger" hypersonic missile carrier MiG-31, which has been hotly discussed recently, is as follows:
| Model | Maximum speed (km/h) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| MiG-31 | 3000 | The fastest interceptor aircraft in service |
| F-22 Raptor | 2410 | Supersonic cruise capability |
| SR-71 Blackbird | 3529 | The fastest reconnaissance aircraft in history (retired) |
3. The scientific principles behind speed
The difference in aircraft speed is mainly affected by the following factors:
1.Engine type: Turbofan engines (civil aviation) focus on fuel efficiency, while turbojet/ramjet engines (fighters) pursue thrust.
2.Aerodynamic design: Civilian aircraft use large aspect ratio wings to increase lift, while fighter jets use delta wings to reduce drag.
3.Material limitations: When the speed exceeds Mach 2.5 (approximately 3060 km/h), the fuselage requires special heat-resistant materials.
4. Association with recent hot events
1. May 20,Domestic C919 passenger aircraftIt completed its first commercial flight and attracted international attention with its cruising speed of 815 km/h.
2. Latest developed by NASA in the United StatesX-59 Silent Supersonic Aircraft(speed 1,488 kilometers per hour) has entered the testing phase, and the relevant video views have exceeded 5 million.
3. The actual deployment of MiG-31 carrying "Dagger" missiles in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has made the speed of supersonic weapons carriers the focus of military forums.
5. The evolution of speed records
| Year | record holder | Speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Bell X-1 | 1541 |
| 1976 | SR-71 Blackbird | 3529 |
| 2004 | X-43A UAV | 11200 |
It can be seen from the data that the speed of human aircraft has increased by more than 7 times in 70 years. However, due to safety and economic considerations in the civil aviation field, the speed increase has been relatively slow.
Conclusion
Aircraft speed is not only the pinnacle of engineering technology, but also the embodiment of human exploration spirit. The future followsHypersonic passenger aircraft(like the Boom Overture project) andaerospace planeWith the development of technology, perhaps we will witness a new speed revolution. The next time you take a commercial airliner, think about it: this seemingly slow speed of 900 kilometers per hour is a miracle that was unimaginable to humans a hundred years ago.
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