We had previously discussed fastest military aircraft, commercial passenger aircraft, and private passenger aircraft, but there are many more variants of fastest flying aircraft. Today we will be looking at military bombers, which are one more variant, faster than any of the commercial and private jets, yet a tad slower than the military jets.
Let’s take a look at them.
Fastest: XB-70 Valkyrie
This was one of the fastest bombers the world had ever seen which never entered production. Sadly, the realities of the battlefield and airfield changed so drastically that this aircraft could not take-off for production. It still is remembered in history as one of the fastest bomber capable of doing Mach 3+.
Second Fastest: Sukhoi T – 4
This is the aircraft coming from Russia’s arsenal in response to the development of the XB-70. However, much like the XB, the T-4 also did not see the light of day. The program was canceled soon after four prototypes took first flight. To its credit the T – 4 did make a lasting impression to be remembered in history. It was capable of doing up to Mach 3 of speed.
Third Fastest: F111 Aardvark
This is the next aircraft on the list and one of the first versions of a fighter-bomber combine. While the XB and T – 4 were exclusive bombers, the Aardvark combined the power and agility of a fighter with the relatively low flying capability of a bomber. This particular aircraft saw a range of pioneering concepts including the variable sweep wings and the automated radar for low flying. It could do a speed of Mach 2.5.
Fourth Fastest: Sukhoi Su – 24M
The next aircraft is the Russian equivalent of the F111. This is not in terms of technology but in terms of realization that a bomber only aircraft could not be the strategy of the future. The Su – 24 M was a multi-role fighter and was capable of both fighter and bomber role. The Sukhoi could do a maximum of Mach 2.18.
Fifth Fastest: Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack
The Tu – 160 is one of the main bombers of the Russian Air Force. At a time when we see lesser number of bombers, this is one bold bomber. The Tupolev finds its genesis in the passenger version, and after several iterations has perfected the role of a military bomber. You can read about the passenger version of the Tu-160 here.
Back to Base
The World of Bombers is a continuously shrinking one. Chances are that as we go forward, we may not have a bomber only role. That said, Tupolev Tu – 160 in our own list is an exception to that argument. In that sense, we may not be able to rule out the possibility of bomber only aircraft in the future. The real question is if they will be really fast. If yes, do come back to check if they have made it to this list.
You can read a more detailed and expanded list on the Fastest Bombers here.
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Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons