List of supersonic aircraft

Last updated February 06, 2025

A supersonic aircraft is an aircraft which can exceed the speed of sound (Mach 1.0) in level flight.

Type	Country	Class	Role	Date	Status	No.	Notes
Aeritalia F-104S	Italy	Turbojet	Fighter	1966	Production	246	Interceptor
AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo	Taiwan	Turbofan	Fighter	1989	Production	137
AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle	Taiwan	Turbofan	Trainer	2020	Production	4
Atlas Cheetah	South Africa	Turbojet	Fighter	1986	Production	60
Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow	Canada	Turbojet	Fighter	1958	Prototype	5	Interceptor
BAC 221	United Kingdom	Turbojet	Experimental	1964	Prototype	1	Fairey Delta 2 adapted to test the ogival delta wing for Concorde
BAC TSR-2	United Kingdom	Turbojet	Attack	1964	Prototype	1	Tactical Strike/Reconnaissance (TSR)
Bell X-1	United States	Rocket	Experimental	1947	Prototype	7	First supersonic aircraft
Bell X-2	United States	Rocket	Experimental	1952	Prototype	2
Boeing X-32	United States	V/STOL	Experimental	2000	Prototype	2
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet	United States	Turbofan	Multirole	1995	Production	608
Boeing EA-18G Growler	United States	Turbofan	Patrol	2004	Production	172	Electronic warfare (EW)
Boom XB-1	United States	Turbojet	Experimental	2025	Prototype	1	First human-piloted civil supersonic flight since the Concorde ^[1]
Bristol 188	United Kingdom	Turbojet	Experimental	1962	Prototype	2
British Aerospace EAP	United Kingdom	Turbofan	Experimental	1986	Prototype	1	Developed into the Eurofighter Typhoon
CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder	Multi-National	Turbofan	Multirole	2003	Production	164	Pakistan-China
Chengdu J-7	China	Turbojet	Fighter	1966	Production	2400
Chengdu J-10	China	Turbofan	Multirole	1998	Production	548
Chengdu J-20	China	Turbofan	Fighter	2011	Production	50
Concorde	Multi-National	Turbojet	Transport	1969	Production	20	SST. Anglo-French
Convair B-58 Hustler	United States	Turbojet	Bomber	1956	Production	116	Strategic.
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1953	Production	992	Interceptor
Convair F2Y Sea Dart	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1953	Prototype	5	Seaplane. Interceptor
Convair F-106 Delta Dart	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1959	Production	340	Interceptor
Dassault MD.550 Mirage	France	Turbojet	Fighter	1956	Prototype	1	Interceptor
Dassault Mirage III	France	Turbojet	Fighter	1958	Production	1422	Interceptor. Active only in Pakistan Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIV	France	V/STOL	Fighter	1965	Prototype	2
Dassault Mirage IV	France	Turbojet	Bomber	1959	Production	66	Strategic nuclear.
Dassault Mirage 5	France	Turbojet	Attack	1967	Production	582
Dassault Mirage F1	France	Turbojet	Fighter	1966	Production	720
Dassault Mirage F2	France	Turbofan	Attack	1966	Prototype	1
Dassault Mirage G	France	Turbojet	Multirole	1967	Prototype	3
Dassault Mirage 2000	France	Turbofan	Fighter	1978	Production	601
Dassault Mirage 4000	France	Turbofan	Fighter	1979	Prototype	1
Dassault Rafale	France	Turbofan	Multirole	1986	Production	240
Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard	France	Turbojet	Attack	1974	Production	85
Dassault Super Mystère	France	Turbojet	Multirole	1955	Production	180
Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora	New Zealand/Netherlands	Rocket	Experimental	2024	Prototype	1	First supersonic civil aircraft since the Concorde ^[2]
Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket	United States	Rocket	Experimental	1948	Prototype	3	Dual jet and rocket powerplants,
Douglas X-3 Stiletto	United States	Turbojet	Experimental	1951	Prototype	1
English Electric Lightning	United Kingdom	Turbojet	Fighter	1957	Production	337	Interceptor
Eurofighter Typhoon	Multi-National	Turbofan	Fighter	1994	Production	661
EWR VJ 101	West Germany	V/STOL	Fighter	1963	Prototype	2
Fairey Delta 2	United Kingdom	Turbojet	Experimental	1954	Prototype	2	First aircraft to pass 1,000 mph.
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	Turbofan	Fighter	1974	Production	4604
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark	United States	Turbofan	Fighter	1964	Production	563	Also bomber and EW Variants.
Grumman F-11 Tiger	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1954	Production	200
Grumman F11F-1F Super Tiger	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1956	Prototype	2
Grumman F-14 Tomcat	United States	Turbofan	Fighter	1970	Production	712
Guizhou JL-9	China	Turbojet	Trainer	2003	Production
HAL Tejas	India	Turbofan	Multirole	2001	Production	40
Helwan HA-300	Egypt	Turbojet	Fighter	1964	Prototype	3	Interceptor
HESA Azarakhsh	Iran	Turbojet	Fighter	1997	Prototype	6
HESA Saeqeh	Iran	Turbojet	Fighter	2004	Production	12
Hongdu L-15	China	Turbofan	Trainer	2005	Prototype
IAI Kfir	Israel	Turbojet	Multirole	1973	Production	220
IAI Lavi	Israel	Turbofan	Multirole	1986	Prototype	3
IAI Nammer	Israel	Turbofan	Fighter	1991	Prototype	1
IAI Nesher	Israel	Turbojet	Multirole	1971	Production	61
KAI T-50 Golden Eagle	Republic of Korea	Turbofan	Trainer	2002	Production	200
Lockheed A-12	United States	Turbojet	Patrol	1962	Production	15	Hybrid turbojet-ramjet engines. Reconnaissance
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird	United States	Turbojet	Patrol	1964	Production	32	Hybrid turbojet-ramjet engines. Reconnaissance
Lockheed YF-12	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1963	Prototype	3	Interceptor
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor	United States	Turbofan	Fighter	1997	Production	195
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II	United States	Turbofan	Multirole	2006	Production	820
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1954	Production	2578	Interceptor
Lockheed Martin X-35	United States	Turbofan	Experimental	2000	Prototype	2
Martin Marietta X-24A	United States	Rocket	Experimental	1969	Prototype	1
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1954	Production	807
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II	United States	Turbojet	Multirole	1958	Production	5195
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle	United States	Turbofan	Fighter	1972	Production	1723	F-15E Strike Eagle multirole variant
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet	United States	Turbofan	Multirole	1978	Production	1480
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1953	Production	2172
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1955	Production	11496
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1967	Production	5047
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1964	Production	1186	Interceptor
Mikoyan MiG-27	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Attack	1970	Production	1075
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Fighter	1977	Production	1600
Mikoyan MiG-31	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Fighter	1975	Production	519	Interceptor
Mikoyan MiG-35	Russia	Turbofan	Fighter	2007	Prototype	8
Mikoyan Project 1.44	Russia	Turbofan	Experimental	2000	Prototype	1
Mitsubishi F-1	Japan	Turbofan	Fighter	1971	Production	77
Mitsubishi F-2	Japan	Turbofan	Multirole	1995	Production	98
Mitsubishi T-2	Japan	Turbofan	Trainer	1975	Production	90
Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin	Japan	Turbofan	Experimental	2016	Prototype	1
Myasishchev M-50	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Bomber	1959	Prototype	1
Nanchang J-12	China	Turbojet	Fighter	1970	Prototype	8
Nanchang Q-5	China	Turbojet	Attack	1965	Production	1300
Nord Gerfaut	France	Turbojet	Experimental	1953	Prototype	2
Nord Griffon	France	Turbojet	Experimental	1955	Prototype	2	Dual turbojet-ramjet powerplant
North American A-5 Vigilante	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1958	Production	120	Interceptor
North American F-100 Super Sabre	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1953	Production	2294
North American F-107	United States	Turbojet	Attack	1957	Prototype	3
North American X-15	United States	Rocket	Experimental	1959	Prototype	3
North American XB-70 Valkyrie	United States	Turbojet	Bomber	1964	Prototype	2	Strategic bomber
Northrop F-5	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1959	Production	2603
Northrop T-38 Talon	United States	Turbojet	Trainer	1959	Production	1189
Northrop HL-10	United States	Rocket	Experimental	1966	Prototype	1
Northrop M2-F3	United States	Rocket	Experimental	1970	Prototype	1
Northrop YF-17	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1974	Prototype	2
Northrop F-20 Tigershark	United States	Turbofan	Fighter	1982	Prototype	3
Northrop YF-23	United States	Turbofan	Fighter	1990	Prototype	2
Panavia Tornado	Multi-National	Turbofan	Multirole	1974	Production	992
Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1949	Prototype	2	Interceptor
Republic F-105 Thunderchief	United States	Turbojet	Attack	1955	Production	833
Rockwell B-1 Lancer	United States	Turbofan	Bomber	1974	Production	104	Strategic bomber
Rockwell-MBB X-31	United States	Turbofan	Experimental	1990	Prototype	2
Saab 35 Draken	Sweden	Turbojet	Fighter	1955	Production	651
Saab 37 Viggen	Sweden	Turbofan	Fighter	1967	Production	329
Saab JAS 39 Gripen	Sweden	Turbofan	Multirole	1988	Production	271
Saunders-Roe SR.53	United Kingdom	Rocket	Fighter	1957	Prototype	2	Interceptor. Mixed powerplant (jet + rocket)
SEPECAT Jaguar	Multi-National	Turbofan	Attack	1968	Production	543
Shenyang J-6	China	Turbojet	Fighter	1958	Production	4500
Shenyang J-8	China	Turbojet	Fighter	1969	Production	408	Interceptor
Shenyang J-11	China	Turbofan	Fighter	1998	Production	440
Shenyang J-15	China	Turbofan	Fighter	2009	Production	50
Shenyang J-16	China	Turbofan	Multirole	2012	Production	172
Shenyang J-31	China	Turbofan	Multirole	2012	Prototype
Sukhoi Su-7	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1955	Production	1847
Sukhoi Su-9	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1956	Production	1150	Interceptor
Sukhoi Su-11	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1958	Production	108	Interceptor
Sukhoi Su-15	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1962	Production	1290	Interceptor
Sukhoi Su-17	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Attack	1966	Production	2867
Sukhoi Su-24	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Attack	1967	Production	1400
Sukhoi Su-27	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Fighter	1977	Production	680
Sukhoi Su-30	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Multirole	1989	Production	630
Sukhoi Su-33	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Fighter	1987	Production	35
Sukhoi Su-34	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Attack	1990	Production	147
Sukhoi Su-35	Russia	Turbofan	Multirole	2008	Production	154
Sukhoi Su-37	Russia	Turbofan	Fighter	1996	Prototype	1
Sukhoi Su-47	Russia	Turbofan	Fighter	1997	Prototype	1
Sukhoi Su-57	Russia	Turbofan	Fighter	2010	Prototype	16
Sukhoi T-4	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Bomber	1972	Prototype	1	Strategic bomber
Tupolev Tu-22	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Bomber	1959	Production	311	Strategic bomber
Tupolev Tu-22M	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Bomber	1969	Production	497	Strategic bomber
Tupolev Tu-28	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Fighter	1961	Production	198	Interceptor
Tupolev Tu-144	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Transport	1968	Production	16	SST
Tupolev Tu-160	Soviet Union	Turbofan	Bomber	1981	Production	36	Strategic bomber
Vought F-8 Crusader	United States	Turbojet	Fighter	1955	Production	1219
Xian JH-7	China	Turbofan	Multirole	1988	Production	270
Yakovlev Yak-27	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Patrol	1960	Production	165	Reconnaissance
Yakovlev Yak-28	Soviet Union	Turbojet	Multirole	1958	Production	1180
Yakovlev Yak-38	Soviet Union	V/STOL	Fighter	1971	Production	231
Yakovlev Yak-141	Soviet Union	V/STOL	Fighter	1987	Prototype	4

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Concorde is a retired Anglo-French supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France and the United Kingdom signed a treaty establishing the development project on 29 November 1962, as the programme cost was estimated at £70 million . Construction of the six prototypes began in February 1965, and the first flight took off from Toulouse on 2 March 1969. The market was predicted for 350 aircraft, and the manufacturers received up to 100 option orders from many major airlines. On 9 October 1975, it received its French Certificate of Airworthiness, and from the UK CAA on 5 December.

The Mach number, often only Mach, is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics representing the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound. It is named after the Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach.

Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound (Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately 343.2 m/s. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5) are often referred to as hypersonic. Flights during which only some parts of the air surrounding an object, such as the ends of rotor blades, reach supersonic speeds are called transonic. This occurs typically somewhere between Mach 0.8 and Mach 1.2.

The sound barrier or sonic barrier is the large increase in aerodynamic drag and other undesirable effects experienced by an aircraft or other object when it approaches the speed of sound. When aircraft first approached the speed of sound, these effects were seen as constituting a barrier, making faster speeds very difficult or impossible. The term sound barrier is still sometimes used today to refer to aircraft approaching supersonic flight in this high drag regime. Flying faster than sound produces a sonic boom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic boom</span> Shock wave from flying at the speed of sound

A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to the human ear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supersonic transport</span> Airliner faster than the speed of sound

A supersonic transport (SST) or a supersonic airliner is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. To date, the only SSTs to see regular service have been Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144. The last passenger flight of the Tu-144 was in June 1978 and it was last flown in 1999 by NASA. Concorde's last commercial flight was in October 2003, with a November 26, 2003 ferry flight being its last flight.

The NASA Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration, also known as the Shaped Sonic Boom Experiment, was a two-year program that used a Northrop F-5E with a modified fuselage to demonstrate that the aircraft's shock wave, and accompanying sonic boom, can be shaped, and thereby reduced. The program was a joint effort between NASA's Langley Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California and Northrop Grumman.

A supersonic aircraft is an aircraft capable of supersonic flight, that is, flying faster than the speed of sound. Supersonic aircraft were developed in the second half of the twentieth century. Supersonic aircraft have been used for research and military purposes, but only two supersonic aircraft, the Tupolev Tu-144 and the Concorde, ever entered service for civil use as airliners. Fighter jets are the most common example of supersonic aircraft.

Quiet Spike was a collaborative program between Gulfstream Aerospace and NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center to investigate the suppression of sonic booms. The patent was published with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 2004 and is owned by Gulfstream Aerospace.

As of January 2025, the American Airlines fleet consists of 978 mainline aircraft, making it the third largest commercial airline fleet in the world. American Airlines operates aircraft manufactured by Boeing and Airbus.

The Gulfstream X-54 is a proposed research and demonstration aircraft, under development in the United States by Gulfstream Aerospace for NASA, that is planned for use in sonic boom and supersonic transport research.

The Anti-Concorde Project, founded by environmental activist Richard Wiggs, challenged the idea of supersonic passenger transport, and curtailed Concorde's commercial prospects. When Concorde entered service in 1976, of the 74 options held at the time of the first flight, only those for the state airlines of Britain (BOAC) and France were taken up, so that only 20 were built, although flights were also flown for Braniff International and Singapore Airlines. It triggered research into the factors affecting the creation of sonic booms, which led to the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration which achieved their goal of reducing the intensity of sonic booms, and echoed public concern about aircraft noise that resulted in more restrictive noise limits for aircraft and airport operations, as well as changes in both operating procedures and aircraft design to further reduce noise levels.

The Aerion AS2 was a proposed supersonic business jet that was being developed by Aerion Corporation. In May 2014, it was announced that the Aerion AS2 would be part of a larger Aerion SBJ redesign, which aimed for release after a seven-year developmental period. Aerion partnered with Airbus in September the same year. In December 2017, Airbus was replaced by Lockheed Martin. Its General Electric Affinity engine was unveiled in October 2018. In February 2019, Boeing replaced Lockheed Martin. Development stopped when Aerion ceased operations in May 2021.

The Lockheed Martin X-59 Quesst, sometimes styled QueSST, is an American experimental supersonic aircraft under development by Skunk Works for NASA's Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator project. Preliminary design started in February 2016, with the X-59 planned to begin flight testing in 2021. After delays, as of January 2025, it is planned to be delivered to NASA for flight testing in 2025. It is expected to cruise at Mach 1.42 at an altitude of 55,000 ft (16,800 m), creating a low 75 effective perceived noise level (EPNdB) thump to evaluate supersonic transport acceptability.

Boom Technology, Inc. is an American company designing a supersonic airliner named the Overture. The company is also flight-testing their one-third-scale demonstrator: the Boom XB-1 "Baby Boom". On January 28, 2025, the company broke the sound barrier for the first time with its new XB-1 aircraft, after taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port.

The Boom XB-1 "Baby Boom" is a one-third-scale trijet supersonic demonstrator designed by Boom Technology as part of the development of the Boom Overture supersonic transport airliner. Powered by three General Electric J85 engines, it is designed to maintain a speed of Mach 2.2, with over 1,000 nautical miles of range. The XB-1 began taxi tests in December 2022, and conducted its maiden flight on March 22, 2024. The aircraft performed its first supersonic flight test on January 28, 2025, being the first privately developed aircraft to do so.

The Boom Overture is a supersonic airliner under development by Boom Technology, designed to cruise at Mach 1.7 or 975 knots. It will accommodate 64 to 80 passengers, depending on the configuration, and have a range of 4,250 nautical miles. Boom Technology aims to introduce the Overture in 2029. The company projects a market for up to 1,000 supersonic airliners, serving 500 viable routes, with fares comparable to business class. Featuring a delta wing design reminiscent of the Concorde, the Overture will utilize composite materials in its construction. A 2022 redesign specified four dry (non-afterburning) turbofan engines, each producing 160 kilonewtons of thrust.

Hermeus Corporation is an American startup company designing a hypersonic airliner.

The Boom Symphony is a medium-bypass turbofan engine under development by Boom Technology for use on its Overture supersonic airliner. The engine is designed to produce 35,000 pounds of thrust at takeoff, sustain Overture supercruise at Mach 1.7, and burn sustainable aviation fuel exclusively.

The following aviation-related events occurred in the year 2025.

References

Bibliography

↑ "Boom - News - Boom Supersonic Achieves Supersonic Flight". Boom. 2025-01-28. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
↑ "Dawn Aerospace rocket-powered aircraft successfully completes supersonic flight". Reuters . 19 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.

Gunston, Bill (2008). Faster than Sound: The Story of Supersonic Flight. Somerset, UK: Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84425-564-1.

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[1] "Boom - News - Boom Supersonic Achieves Supersonic Flight". Boom. 2025-01-28. Retrieved 2025-02-05.

[2] "Dawn Aerospace rocket-powered aircraft successfully completes supersonic flight". Reuters . 19 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.

[1]

[2]

List of supersonic aircraft

See also

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References