The maximum speeds of high-technology operational aircraft are seen to increase steadily from about 125 miles per hour in 1920 to nearly 450 miles per hour in the World War II years.

In 1920, the world of aviation was transitioning from the frail wood-and-canvas biplanes of World War I into the era of specialized air racing. A standard commercial or mail plane in 1920 typically operated at a cruising speed of 80 to 110 miles per hour (130 to 177 km/h). For example, the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny," a common trainer of the era, topped out at about 75 mph. However, the 1920s were defined by "speed fever," and by 1923, racing seaplanes like the Curtiss CR-3 were already winning the Schneider Cup with average speeds of 177 mph. By the mid-1920s, experimental racers like the R3C-1 shattered records, reaching average speeds of nearly 249 mph. While the average traveler in 1920 would have experienced a flight slower than a modern highway speed limit, the rapid technological advancements in engine power and aerodynamics during this decade saw top speeds nearly triple in just ten years, laying the groundwork for the high-speed air travel and streamlined metal monoplanes that would dominate the 1930s.