The Boeing X-51 Waverider is an unmanned research scramjet experimental aircraft for hypersonic flight at Mach 5 (3,300 mph; 5,300 km/h) and an altitude of 70,000 feet (21,000 m).

As of 2026, the primary aircraft capable of reaching Mach 5 (hypersonic speed) are experimental and military-grade vehicles, most notably the Hermeus Quarterhorse and various scramjet-powered demonstrators like the DART AE. The Quarterhorse is an autonomous aircraft designed to test "combined-cycle" engines that can take off from a regular runway and accelerate to over 3,800 mph. While the historic SR-71 Blackbird topped out around Mach 3.3, these new 2026-era hypersonic planes use advanced materials and propulsion to cross the Mach 5 threshold. In the civilian sector, the Bombardier Global 8000 is the fastest business jet, but it only reaches "transonic" speeds (Mach 0.94), leaving the Mach 5+ realm strictly to the cutting edge of aerospace testing.