Me 163

[Simba]

Considering the fact that the Me163 Komet had no provision for pressurisation, I wonder how many accidents were caused by pilot blackout in the steep climb? At the least, how many eardrums were perforated?

 

[grizz441]

163 fuel consumption used to decrease with alt, like the jets did. This (and so many other things) were changed with the FM update.

It gets about 7 minutes now, and totally handles differently. Feels more like a kick in the pants for that 7 minutes.

I like it better now.  With proper throttle management you can probably get an extra 5 minutes of combat time.  Sure it doesn't turn like a zero anymore, but I'd rather have more combat time.

[BigPlay]

I was just watching the CBS Early Show and the weather guy took a ride on an Air Force plane that can reportedly reach the highest altitude of any plane built; 70,000 feet.

Actually the U2 has a ceiling of 85,000+ and the Sr-71 is reported to fly as high as 100,000 ft.

[Plazus]

Actually the U2 has a ceiling of 85,000+ and the Sr-71 is reported to fly as high as 100,000 ft.

There was a guy I met a few years ago. He had a friend who flew the SR-71. Now I dont have any proof, but he told me stories about this pilot that flew the SR-71. Based on his stories, no one really knows for a fact how fast the Blackbird can go. No one has ever tried to run on full power to see how much faster it can fly. Also, the SR-71 can fly much higher than 100,000 feet. The pilot had taken the plane so high up that the engines quit running because of lack of atmosphere for combustion in the engines.

Dont take my word on this, but what Im telling you guys is what the SR-71 pilot had spoken of.

[Novice3]

I belive that before mentioned Russian plane MIG  25 ( E-155 OR E-266 not sure of the designation)
 holds that official altitude record at 155 000 ft

[Cthulhu]

There was a guy I met a few years ago. He had a friend who flew the SR-71. Now I dont have any proof, but he told me stories about this pilot that flew the SR-71. Based on his stories, no one really knows for a fact how fast the Blackbird can go. No one has ever tried to run on full power to see how much faster it can fly. Also, the SR-71 can fly much higher than 100,000 feet. The pilot had taken the plane so high up that the engines quit running because of lack of atmosphere for combustion in the engines.

Dont take my word on this, but what Im telling you guys is what the SR-71 pilot had spoken of.

Mach 3.5 is probably a pretty realistic number. The limiting factor is thermal, not drag. The windscreen frame and LE of the vertical tails hit some righteous temperatures at those speeds.

BTW, no one has mentioned the X-15. Granted it was rocket-powered and air-launched, with minimal endurance, but the records it set were absolutely staggering for it's time (and now ) Looking strictly at Speed/Altitude performance, everything else that's ever flown (with the possible exception of the mythical "Aurora") is a Piper Cub by comparison.

[Cthulhu]

I belive that before mentioned Russian plane MIG  25 ( E-155 OR E-266 not sure of the designation)
 holds that official altitude record at 155 000 ft

If you'll check, you'll probably find that that's not a sustained altitude, but the result of a zoom climb to stall. Same method the F-104's and "Streak Eagle" used to employ. Still an extremely impressive number though.

[Novice3]

you where right looks like sustained altitude is 74,000ft but it is an awsome plane read the part about Iraqi use of them during first gulf war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mig-25

[Noir]

takes some serious power to out run F15's !

[Serenity]

I believe the plane in question might be the RQ-4 Global Hawk.    If so, this Altitude Record is for Unmanned Probes/Flight (UAV's).   The Global Hawk already holds the Trans-Pacific Crossing from Edwards AFB to Adelaide, Australia in 22 hours.  

Just trying to shed some light, before some get carried away.

Um... are you implying that a CBS Early Show host took a ride IN a Global Hawk? 

[BaldEagl]

Um... are you implying that a CBS Early Show host took a ride IN a Global Hawk? 

That's what I was thinking because they did actually showed him riding in it.

[Chalenge]

No he flew in a U-2.

[Strip]

Mach 3.5 is probably a pretty realistic number. The limiting factor is thermal, not drag. The windscreen frame and LE of the vertical tails hit some righteous temperatures at those speeds.

BTW, no one has mentioned the X-15. Granted it was rocket-powered and air-launched, with minimal endurance, but the records it set were absolutely staggering for it's time (and now ) Looking strictly at Speed/Altitude performance, everything else that's ever flown (with the possible exception of the mythical "Aurora") is a Piper Cub by comparison.

The limiting factor is usually compressor inlet temperature, the maximum temperature being 427 degrees Celsius.

Very little is mentioned about airframe heating in the flight manual even...

Strip

[StokesAk]

I see this with alot of planes, i personally took a B17 to 37k once, at that atlitude the crew would be in very bad condition and unable to function.

But i dont think it i hight enought priority that HTC will fix this.

[BigPlay]

There was a guy I met a few years ago. He had a friend who flew the SR-71. Now I dont have any proof, but he told me stories about this pilot that flew the SR-71. Based on his stories, no one really knows for a fact how fast the Blackbird can go. No one has ever tried to run on full power to see how much faster it can fly. Also, the SR-71 can fly much higher than 100,000 feet. The pilot had taken the plane so high up that the engines quit running because of lack of atmosphere for combustion in the engines.

Dont take my word on this, but what Im telling you guys is what the SR-71 pilot had spoken of.

Oh I am sure it does fly higher than 100,000 ft , considering that space starts at 62 miles of the surface of earth and 100,000 ft is only about 18-19 miles . However the official  altitude record is 85135 set by the SR-71, some accounts say 85068 ft but the record was set in 1976. I imagine that as long as the SR was able to have the record of speed and altitude that it did so to just out do the existing record and not to reveal it's true flight envelope.