The desire to fly faster than ever has been the one overwhelming idea that has propelled human flight. Since the Wright Flyer ...

A Cessna 172 can typically cruise at around 140 mph (225 kph). Most commercial airliners fly fast enough at altitude that speed is measured in how close the aircraft's speed is to the speed of sound.

Speed has always been one of the biggest advantages in warfare. From the early days of jet engines to Cold War arms races, nations pushed aircraft to fly faster and higher than ever thought possible.

The fastest military aircraft ever built—from the SR-71 Blackbird to the MiG-25 Foxbat—were designed during the Cold War to outrun missiles, evade defenses, and intercept threats at extreme speeds ...