Number 1: North American X-15 This aircraft has the current world record for the fastest manned aircraft. Its maximum speed was Mach 6.70 (about 7,200 km/h) which it attained on the 3rd of October 1967 thanks to its pilot William J. “Pete” Knight.
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Maverick Probably Couldn't Survive Ejecting At Mach 10However, in reality, no known aircraft has ever traveled above Mach 3 and no manned aircraft has had a pilot eject at a speed higher than Mach 2.5 and live to tell the tale. The relative weight and density of air outside the craft would kill the pilot instantly.
In the new Top Gun movie, Tom Cruise ejects from a hypersonic jet at Mach 10 and survives. How realistic is this? It would be fatal for the pilot. If an ejection at supersonic speeds needs to take place, the pilot must be protected from the airflow via an ejection capsule.
Falcon HTV-2 is an unmanned, rocket-launched, maneuverable aircraft that glides through the Earth's atmosphere at incredibly fast speeds—Mach 20 (approximately 13,000 miles per hour).
It hurts,, a lot ! But current ejection systems are designed to operate at any time during an aircrafts envelope, from zero speed and zero altitude to the top speed. arms and legs are often broken or dislocated,, and there is a lot of internal bruising. It's risky, but ejecting at any speed is risky.
The speed at which Maverick flies the Darkstar in Top Gun: Maverick is Mach 10, which would subject him to approximately 34 G-force, rendering it practically impossible for a human to survive such forces as it would severely damage their body from the inside.