Many of us dream of setting our own speed record, but this usually comes with some difficulties, such as paying a fine for speeding. And this is simply a dangerous activity.

As for professional racers, they do this in specially designated places under the supervision of professional mechanics, doctors and, of course, representatives of the committee, who, in fact, record speed records. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the ten most interesting records set both on land and on water.

1. Land speed record

The absolute land speed record was set on October 15, 1997 by Andy Green, a British Air Force pilot. He did this on Black Rock Desert with a TurboSSC jet engine. He became the first driver to reach supersonic speed and break the sound barrier. Let us remember that the speed of sound is 1225 km/h, and Andy was able to accelerate to 1228 km/h.2. Underwater speed record

Usually such information is kept in the strictest confidence, since such records are set mainly by submarines, and this is a state secret. Therefore, there is only unofficial data on this matter. In 1965, the American Gato Albacore class submarine showed a speed of around 61 km/h or 33 knots. As for our submarines, the fastest one at the moment is considered, again according to unofficial data, to be the Akula class submarine, which reaches a speed of 64 km/h. It is noteworthy that its predecessor, the Alpha class submarine, could reach speeds of up to 82.7 km/h. 3. Motorcycle speed record

American Bill Warner broke the world speed record, accelerating to 502 km/h on a tuned Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa bike.
For the race, which was held on the 2.4-kilometer runway at the US Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine, Wild Brothers Racing prepared an upgraded version of the motorcycle, which is considered the fastest production bike in the world.

The modified motorcycle was equipped with a 1299 cubic centimeter engine with a Garrett turbocharger. 1000 hp motor (the standard Suzuki Hayabusa has only 197 horsepower) runs on methanol. The power unit alone costs about $160 thousand.

In addition, the motorcycle received an aerodynamic body kit, an improved gearbox, clutch, exhaust system, rear suspension and other brakes. Suzuki also installed full carbon wheels from BST, which are planned to soon be offered for production motorcycles, with Continental tires measuring 120/70 at the front and 240/40 at the rear.

The previous motorcycle speed record (448 km/h) also belonged to Warner. Previously, the record belonged to Dean Sabatinelli, who managed to reach a speed of 431 km/h on a motorcycle.
4. The fastest boat

The most interesting fact in this story is that the fastest boat was built almost on its own. Australian racer Ken Warby made it in his own yard. And the record itself was set on October 8, 1978 and was 513 km/h. At the same time, he broke his own record, set a year earlier. Then the speed was recorded at 467 km/h.
5. The fastest sailboat

The fastest sailing vessel, or rather a surfboard with a sail attached to it, popularly called windsurfing, belongs to the world champion in this sport, Fanion Maynard. He set his record in France in April 2005, beating his own, set in November 2004. The first one was 86.7 km/h, the new one was 90 km/h.
6. The fastest catamaran

Led by the French yachtsman Bruno Peiron, the Orange II vessel, only 38 meters long, was able to accelerate to a speed of 51.5 km/h during a regatta in July 2006. It is noteworthy that in 2005, the Orange II team made a trip around the world on the same ship, which took 50 days, 16 hours and 20 minutes.
7. The fastest train

In this category, first place goes to the French TGV, which is currently the fastest operating train in the world. In April 2007, during testing, he was able to reach 575 km/h. This is about the classic train. If we take magnetic levitation trains into account, then in this category the leader is the Japanese JR-Maglev, which was able to accelerate to 581 km/h. But there is another category - toy trains. The fastest of them can reach 10 km/h. Japanese train JR-Maglev
8. The fastest cyclist

Yes, and this category has its own record holders. Fred Rompelberg in 1995 was able to accelerate to 269 km/h. It seems unrealistic, but this is a recorded result. He did this by positioning himself behind the car, while falling into the so-called aerodynamic bag. 9. The fastest steam car

The British Steam Car Challenge brought together enthusiasts who were passionate (in a good way) about speed and steam cars. The team first met in 1999 and have been dreaming of a record ever since. At the beginning of August this year, the first test run took place, and even then it was possible to accelerate the British Steam to 210.8 km/h. It turns out that the record of 205.44 km/h set by Fred Marriott on the Stanley Rocket, which had stood since 1906, has fallen. But due to some hiccups, it was not officially registered. After this, another race was held on the territory of the US Air Force Base "Edwards". And the best part for the creators of the ferry car is that they managed to overcome their previous achievement. The new official record is 225.055 km/h.
10. Fastest electric car

There is an opinion that electric cars are necessarily very slow, but this certainly cannot be said about the Buckeye Bullet. This car was designed and built by Ohio State University students. The record was set on October 13, 2004 at the Bonneville Salt Lake and was 437 km/h. Apparently, the driver of this car, Roger Schroer, was somewhat dissatisfied with the result and two days later, that is, on October 15, 2004, he repeated his race and was able to reach 506 km/h. This figure was recorded in the book of records.

There are many criteria to measure a car's performance. For the fastest car in the world, the main criterion is speed. We present to you top 10 fastest cars in the world. These are mainly sports models, as fast as they are expensive.

Price: $330,000. The chic body of the British supercar immediately attracts attention; it is made of stainless steel and carbon fiber. With its 4.4-liter eight-cylinder engine with 650 hp. The car is capable of reaching the limit of 362 km/h. However, they risked accelerating it only to 346 km/h, since the driver felt very strong vibrations while driving.

Maximum speed is 370 km/h. Market value: $1.27 million. The next number in the ranking of the fastest cars is a beautiful Italian supercar made of carbon fiber. It is equipped with a six-liter V12 engine from Mercedes-AMG with 720 horsepower. Last year at the Geneva Motor Show, automaker Pagani showed off the Huayra BC, which is lighter and more powerful than the standard Huayra. Its engine was improved to 789 hp. while the overall curb weight has been reduced to a paltry 1,199kg. That's comparable to the weight of the latest Honda Civic Coupe, but the Huayra is five times more powerful.

The maximum speed is 375 km/h. Cost - 1.22 million dollars. One of the few Danish hypercars is also one of the fastest passenger cars. Assembled in Zealand, the Zenvo ST1 displays the heights of Danish engineering prowess as the car combines a supercharged and turbocharged 6.8-liter V8 engine with 1,205 hp.

The ST1 is capable of reaching 375 km/h on impeccable roads, but it's important to note that its top speed is electronically limited. Without digital nannies on board, the ST1 could be even faster. It was released in a limited edition of 15 units and you are unlikely to see it on Russian roads.

Sold for 970 thousand dollars. A car with a unique interior design. Its authors are Gordon Murray and Peter Stevens. The driver's seat and the steering wheel in the McLaren F1 are located in the center of the cabin. At the end of the 20th century, the McLaren F1 received the title of "fastest car in the world" and held it until 2005. The iron heart of this British beauty is the V12 engine with 627 horsepower.

Speeds up to 405 km/h. Cost: $545,568. This Swedish model has received many awards, including Top Gear Power Laps. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson drove the CCX and was full of praise for the car, but didn't like the lack of downforce. Clarkson said that the lack of a rear spoiler was to blame for this. This was later stated by Top Gear pilot Stig, who crashed the CCX and suggested that the car would be more stable with a rear spoiler. In 2006, Koenigsegg introduced a variant of its supercar with an optional carbon fiber rear spoiler. However, with it the speed is reduced to 370 km/h.

Forbes magazine included the CCX in its list of the most beautiful cars in the world.

The highest speed is 414 km/h. It will cost buyers $695 thousand. This supercar, with its exterior similar to the Porsche 911, was created by the German tuning company 9ff. The design caused a mixed reaction among car enthusiasts: reviews include both admiration for the beauty of the car and criticism of the “ugly headlights” and the overly elongated body.

One of the main differences from the regular 911 is the placement of the four-liter Twin Turbo engine with 1,120 hp. All 911 models in Porsche history (with the exception of the Porsche 911 GT1) have had a rear engine, while the GT9 is mid-engined for better weight distribution.

The theoretically achievable speed is 430 km/h. Offered for $655,000. The American from Shelby SuperCars (SSC) was the king of the auto world of speed from 2007 to 2010, beating out the Super Sport version of the Veyron. It even made it into the Guinness Book of Records in 2007 with an astounding 412 km/h.

Helping to achieve this record was a 6.3-liter Twin Turbo V8 engine with 1,287 horsepower. The driver has no electronic aids to help control this power. So the car promises either a delightful experience for those who have extensive driving experience, or almost certain death for reckless drivers who do not have such experience.

The stated speed is 431 km/h. When Volkswagen bought the Bugatti brand, it had one goal: to produce the fastest production car in the world. The original Veyron achieved this goal, however it was soon dethroned by the SSC Ultimate Aero. That's why Bugatti is back with the Super Sport. It has an 8-liter Quad Turbo W16 engine producing 1,200 hp, as well as numerous aerodynamic changes designed to help gain a few extra kilometers per hour.

The cost of this luxury car is 2.4 million dollars and despite such a high price, the demand for cars in the car market is very high.

Price: $1 million.

In 2014 testing at the Kennedy Space Center, the coupe was able to reach 435 km/h in a single run. This dream of speed, embodied in a carbon fiber body (except for the doors and roof), is equipped with a 7.0-liter V8 engine with turbocharged Twin Turbo with 1244 horsepower.

1. Bugatti Chiron is the fastest car

The maximum speed is 463 km/h.

Cost: $2.65 million.

The fastest car in the world in 2018 and possibly 2019 (Bugatti plans to set the speed record with the Chiron next year). Its photos and technical characteristics were declassified only at the Geneva Motor Show 2016. This luxury two-seater car was developed after the success of the Bugatti Veyron, which is considered one of the fastest and. The Bugatti Chiron is equipped with a 16-cylinder engine and its 1,500 horsepower rushes from 0 to one hundred kilometers in 2.5 seconds.

Although the Chiron is built like a race car, you don't need to be a professional to drive it. The vehicle is designed to automatically adjust the ride as speed increases or decreases to ensure optimal performance.

There are also cars looming on the horizon that are ready to compete for the right to be called the fastest cars in the world. Thus, SSC hopes to reclaim the title of “fastest car in the world” with its challenger Tuatara (1350 horsepower under the hood and 443 km/h in theory). And Koenigsegg claims that the One:1 supercar is “capable” of breaking the 430 km/h bar. In 2016, while trying to set a lap record at the German Nürburgring race track, One:1 had an accident, crashing into a protective fence. The pilot was not seriously injured, which cannot be said about the car. This is one of the most expensive accidents on the Nurburgring.

As part of our story about the record-breaking hot rod that will attempt to break the Bonneville speed record, we went to the US to inspect its engine. Along the way, we visited the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) museum and decided to remember the history of setting speed records.

Only after it had appeared, the car became a source of pride and a reliable way to get a good dose of adrenaline. Every owner wondered if he could outrun a horse or at least leave his neighbor's car behind. Moreover, traffic rules were still in their infancy, and it was much more difficult to lose your license for reckless driving than it is today. So they drove everywhere.

Start

In 1770 in Paris, a tractor with a steam engine reached an incredible speed of four kilometers per hour, and in 1803 Richard Travity (again, on a steam engine) reached either eight or nine miles per hour (about 13-14 kilometers per hour). hour) - the exact figure has not gone down in history. But these were records in words, which were told to friends over a glass of tea. And the first officially recorded record was set on the Jeanto electric car in 1898: it was 63.14 kilometers per hour.

All sorts of car speed records have been set. The interest to conquer the track has probably always been in the blood of racing fans, from the very moment the cars appeared. And many succeeded.

Absolute result

So, before talking about all sorts of car speed records (of which there are many), it’s worth mentioning the most important result. The maximum figure was reached in 1997, on October 15. Then a new, absolute and to this day unconquered speed record for a car was set. 1229.78 km/h - this is exactly the mark on the speedometer that the needle reached. And the conqueror of the track was Andy Green, an Englishman and fighter pilot. The record was set in the desert. The car, naturally, was not an ordinary one, but a jet - Thrust SSC.

The route, which was 21 kilometers long, was marked at the bottom of a dry lake located in the Black Rock Desert. Andy's car was powered by two powerful, turbofan power units from a Rolls Royce. Each engine was equipped with forced traction. And the total power of the engines reached an incredible 110,000 horsepower. It is not surprising that Green managed to accelerate to such a mark.

“Pioneers”-record holders

Now you can delve into other topics. So, the first world speed record in a car equipped with an internal combustion engine was set by a person like Emile Levassor. This was in 1985. Then the Paris-Bordeaux race took place. In fact, these were the first speed competitions! And Emil won them. His phrase, which he said after the races, is widely known: “It was crazy! I did up to thirty kilometers per hour!” Of course, at that time, at the end of the 19th century, the indicators were truly stunning. True, Emil also died because of his love for racing. In 1987, during a speed competition, he had an accident - he was trying to avoid a collision with a dog. And soon he died due to his wounds. But his speed record in a car with an internal combustion engine remained forever in history.

The following results were officially recorded. In 1898, a speed of 63.149 km/h was reached. The motorist was Count Gaston de Chasselou-Lobas. He then drove an electric car designed by Charles Jeantot. By the way, this was the first officially registered record.

Distance racing

Already at the end of the 19th century, speed competitions began to be held, in which motorists had to cover a certain distance. Whoever was first won, everything is logical. And the first was the 100-kilometer distance. She was captivated by Camille Genatzi, a Belgian motorist. And it was April 29, 1899. He also drove an electric car that produced 40 horsepower. The maximum he reached was 105.8 km/h.

The next distance was 200 kilometers. It was conquered in 1911. And then R. Burman became the winner. It is not difficult to guess that he drove a car from the Benz company. His maximum car speed record was incredible - 228 km/h! Needless to say, not all modern cars of some brands can produce such a maximum.

300 kilometers was conquered for the first time by H. O. D. Sigrev. This was in 1927. And its maximum stopped at 327.8 km/h. Then, in 1932, there was a 400-kilometer race. Malcolm Campbell managed to win. And it was 408.6 km/h.

The 500-kilometer race in a Rolls-Royce Iceton was won by John Iceton in 1937. He “squeezed” a maximum of 502.4 km/h out of the car. And finally, a thousand kilometers. This distance was overcome by Harry Gabelich in 1970, on October 23. His car was a rocket car called the Blue Flame. was 1014.3 km/h. Interestingly, the car was 11.3 meters long. The race took place on a dry salt lake called Bonneville.

Sound speed

And once we managed to overcome it. This was first done by a man named Stan Barrett. This is a professional stuntman from America, who was 36 years old at the time of the event. He set a record in a 3-wheeled car. It was called the Budweiser Rocket. The car was driven by them. By the way, there were two of them. The main engine is a liquid propellant engine with a thrust of 9900 kgf. And the second is a solid propellant rocket engine. It had a thrust of 2000 kgf. It was installed in the car in order to use additional power if the main one is not enough to overcome the declared speed.

The race took place at an air base in California in 1979. By the way, when talking about car speed records, one cannot help but note that this one was not registered by the FIA. And all because the rules of the organization state: to record the result, you need to conduct two races in two different directions. This is done to eliminate the slope of the route and the influence of wind. Stan Barrett turned it down. He said the record has already been set.

For a thousand miles

So far, no one has managed to break the 1,000 mph speed limit. This, it is worth clarifying, is 1609 kilometers per hour. But people who work with cars don't lose their enthusiasm. They rightly believe that everything is possible, and this too. The designers of Bloodhound SSC, for example, have a plan to set a new record. Most likely, the car intended for the race will be equipped with three power units. The first will be a hybrid rocket motor. The second will be the Eurojet EJ200 jet unit, which is used on a fighter aircraft called And the third will be a V-shaped engine with 8 cylinders from the Jaguar concern. It will, of course, run on gasoline. But this engine will be used to drive pumps that pump fuel to the rocket motor and activate the onboard electric generator.

Other categories

Many women have also set car speed records. The best result is 843.3 km/h. It was reached by an American girl named Kitty Hambleton. And she set the record in 1976, in December. The engine power of her car was 48,000 “horses”.

The maximum that racers driving a car with a steam engine could achieve was 223.7 km/h. The car had 12 boilers, where the water was heated by burning natural gas. Every minute, approximately 40 kilograms of water evaporated in the boilers. The power of the installation was approximately 360 hp. With.

What can you say about the speed record for a production car? Naturally, the best in this regard is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport hypercar. Its indicator is 431.072 kilometers per hour! But this is not the limit. After all, the fastest and most dynamic passenger car designed for road driving was... the Ford Badd GT! He was able to reach 455 km/h. And this is more than the notorious “Bugatti”.

Diesel “record breakers”

Cars whose engines run on diesel fuel are often underestimated. So, all stereotypes are instantly destroyed by JCB Dieselmax. It consumes diesel fuel, not gasoline. Under the leadership of the same Andy Green, they set a record of 563.418 km/h. This happened in 2006. It is worth recalling that a similar test was carried out in 1973. The result that year was an order of magnitude lower - 379.5 km/h.

The fastest production car running on diesel fuel is a German representative. And this is the BMW 330 TDS. Its maximum is 320 km/h. The unit of this model has 6 cylinders and a volume of three liters. Plus, of course, turbocharging. The engine power is 300 “horses”. And the consumption, by the way, cannot but rejoice - only 8 liters per 100 km.

Other results

The car speed records by year were described above. As you can see, many good results were achieved not even in the 21st century. And indeed, it is so! For example, the Audi S4 released in 1992 is recognized. This model is capable of reaching 418 km/h. In any case, this result was recorded during a race on dry Lake Bonneville. Under the hood of this all-wheel drive car was a 5-cylinder turbocharged engine. Its power was increased to 1100 hp. With.

He also set a speed record for a car with wheel drive. It was 737.4 km/h. And finally, we cannot help but mention the speed result that was achieved on a motorized balance beam - 76.625 km/h! This is exactly what the structure, made of cedar logs and car parts, achieved. The record, by the way, is fresh - it was recorded in 2016.

Russian indicators

Naturally, speaking on this topic, one cannot help but note the speed record for a car in Russia. “Ladas” and “Volgas” are produced on the territory of our country - they are still as far away as possible. But there is still some interesting record in history.

It was installed by people such as Oleg Bogdanov, Vladimir Solovyov and Viktor Panyarsky - the team of the magazine “Behind the Wheel”. Men driving a VAZ-2109 crossed the whole of Europe in 45 hours and 30 minutes. The start was in Moscow, on Manezhnaya Square. And the “jet trip” ended in Lisbon, not far from the Belem Tower. The idea to make such a run did not come spontaneously. This was a response to the Portuguese initiative. In 1986, two Portuguese journalists arrived from Lisbon to the Russian capital. They covered the entire route in 51 hours and 30 minutes. Soviet journalists accepted the challenge and, one might say, won the unspoken argument.

And another case happened in 2009. A resident of Samara in his Lada-21099 reached a speed of 277 km/h! The most interesting thing is in a traffic jam, during rush hour, at about nine in the morning! The guy exceeded the speed limit by 217 kilometers. Also a kind of record. Possible, probably, only in Russia.

There are people who live at top speed. They chase records and strive to be the fastest. And it doesn’t matter how they do it - behind the wheel of a racing car or on the back of a racing camel. The point is that speed is in their blood.

If BMW were a person, the same could be said about it. From superb performances in the DTM racing series and European touring racing, in Formula 1 and circuit racing, speed has been an integral part of BMW's life throughout its history and remains so today.

Technologies developed on the race track and during record-breaking runs are used by BMW in the development of road cars. Firstly, this is evidenced by the quality of German technology, repeatedly tested under extreme loads. Secondly, many of the company’s “civilian” models breathe speed, for example, the “charged” 370-horsepower beauty BMW M2 Coupe, capable of accelerating to “hundreds” in 4.3 seconds and limited to 250 km/h only electronically for safety reasons. Finally, it is worth mentioning the line of BMW M Performance accessories, which allows you to customize various models of the company in a sporty style. A carbon body kit that reduces aerodynamic drag, a power increase package, sports exhaust and braking systems, interior accessories - the opportunity to make a car out of an ordinary car attracts many.

That's why today we're talking about speed records. About brilliant engineers who build fast cars, planes and ships. About fearless pilots who take risks to become one of the fastest. About records, simple and complex, ordinary and strange - about what a person cannot exist without.

LAND SPEED RECORDS

ABSOLUTE SPEED RECORD ON THE LAND: 1227.986 KM/H VEHICLE: THRUST SSC POWER UNIT: TWO ROLLS-ROYCE SPEY RB.168 MK.202 TURBOFAN ENGINES PILOT: ANDY GREEN DATE: OCTOBER 15, 1997 WHO WILL BEAT: BLOOD CAR HOUND S.S.C.

Today there is only one team in the world that consistently breaks one absolute speed record after another, and this situation has persisted for 30 years. It all started with the fact that back in 1983, Richard Noble accelerated to a speed of 1019.47 km/h in a jet Thrust 2 in the Black Rock Desert. A decade and a half later, Noble acted as a designer - his pilot Andy Green set two speed records in a row in the mighty Thrust SSC. Today the same team is preparing for the next race the monstrous Bloodhound SSC, which should accelerate to more than 1600 km/h. Thrust SSC became the first car to break the sound barrier. Its design used two aircraft engines with a total power of 110,000 hp, similar to those installed on the F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber and burning 18 liters of fuel per second. Not very economical, but the record has stood for almost 20 years. Because no one except Noble is trying to beat him.

HYDROGEN POWERED VEHICLE: 487.672 km/h VEHICLE: BUCKEYE BULLET 2 POWER UNIT: HYDROGEN FUEL CELL ENGINE PILOT: ROGER SCHROER DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 WHO WILL BEAT: BUCKEYE BULLET 3 2017- 2018

Although hydrogen-powered cars have been around for a relatively long time, until 2004 no one tried to build a special car to set a speed record in this field. The first was the BMW company, which presented a record-breaking BMW I I2R car with a giant 12-cylinder engine, which eventually accelerated to 301.95 km/h. The record stood until 2009 - it was broken by a team from Ohio State University on a special Buckeye Bullet 2. It is worth noting that the same guys hold the speed record for electric vehicles (495.526 km/h), set a year later on a Buckeye Bullet 2.5. The third generation of the car is currently in development.

STEAM CAR: 238.679 KPH VEHICLE: INSPIRATION POWER UNIT: TWO-STAGE STEAM TURBINE PILOT: DONWALES DATE: AUGUST 26, 2009 WHO WILL BEAT: TEAM STEAM USA'S CYCLONE STEAM VEHICLE IN 2017 -2018

The speed record for a steam car lasted for 103 (!) years. Back in 1903, pilot Fred Marriott, in a record-breaking Stanley Rocket, accelerated to 205.5 km/h on Daytona Beach. Until the mid-1980s, no one simply bothered with the need to break this record. In 1985, the American pilot Bob Barber reached a speed of 234.33 km/h in the Barber-Nichols Steamin Demon, but the record was not recognized by the FIA ​​due to a violation of the rules (Barber conducted both races in one direction, while the FIA requires them to be carried out in opposite directions within one hour). Finally, in 2009, a British team led by Glynn Bowsher built the steam-powered Inspiration, which exceeded the bar set by Marriott. Now two teams - Steam Speed ​​America and Team Steam USA - are preparing their steam cars for the races, and one of them is likely to overturn the British achievement.

MOTORBIKE: 605.697 KM/H VEHICLE: TOP OIL ASK ATTACK STREAMLINER POWER UNIT: TWO TURBO SUZUKI HAYABUSA ENGINES PILOT: ROCKY ROBINSON DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2010 WHO WILL BEAT: ROCKY ROBINSON HIMSELF 2017-2018

In the 2000s, the battle for the motorcycle speed record was very intense - pilots Rocky Robinson and Chris Carr surpassed each other's achievements four times, alternately ending up at the top of the record pyramid. Robinson reached the point on the Ack Attack streamliner, becoming the first motorcyclist to break the 600 km/h bar. The record-breaking motorcycle was equipped with two powerful Suzuki Hayabusas with a total volume of 2598 cm3, enhanced by Garret turbocharging. It is interesting that in record practice the line between the concepts of “car” and “motorcycle” is very thin - motorcycles with a side support (“sidecar”) are very similar to cars; history even knew a case when the record car Spirit of America by Craig Breedlove was “requalified” into the motorcycle after the race, although one way or another he set an absolute speed record for any vehicle in 1963.

AIR SPEED RECORDS

PROPELLER AIRCRAFT: 871.38 km/h VEHICLE: PASSENGER AIRCRAFT-1M POWER UNIT: 4 NK-12 GAS TURBINE ENGINES PILOT: IVAN SUKHOMLIN DATE: MARCH 24, 1960 WHO WILL BEAT: NOBODY. SMALL PLANES ARE NOT CAPABLE OF THIS, AND THEY ARE NOT BUILDING LARGE PLANES WITH PROPELLER traction ANYMORE

Not all records belong to the British and Americans. For example, the speed record for an aircraft driven by propellers (that is, not a jet) has been held for more than half a century by Soviet test pilot Ivan Sukhomlin, who accelerated to 871 km/h on the Tu-114. The 114th was, in fact, the last large passenger turboprop airplane, and at the time of its creation (1957) - the largest passenger airplane in the world in general! It was driven by four huge NK-12 SNTK Kuznetsov engines, and each rotated two propellers with a diameter of 6 m in opposite directions. Today, the era of turboprop aircraft is a thing of the past, and it is unlikely that anyone will ever invest millions of dollars in the construction of a machine, capable of breaking this record.

MUSCLE: 44.26 km/h VEHICLE: MUSCULAIR 2 POWER UNIT: NONE PILOT: HOLGER ROCHELT DATE: OCTOBER 2, 1985 WHO WILL BEAT: SOME OF THE ENTHUSIASTS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY MORE ACCURATELY

The muscle plane is an unusual and rare device; in the entire history of mankind, hardly a hundred have existed. The first flight of an aircraft using muscular (pedal) propulsion occurred only in 1961, and the first flight not in a straight line, that is, allowing you to change the direction of movement, took place in 1977. German engineer Gunther Rochelt was one of the enthusiasts of muscle flying, creating two record-breaking aircraft, Musculair and Musculair 2. Musculair became the first muscle plane in history to lift a passenger (the pilot was Gunther's son, Holger Rochelt, and the passenger was Katrin's daughter). And in the second generation, Holger set a still unsurpassed speed record for a machine using muscle power. In fact, there are enough enthusiasts of this unusual trend in the world, and sooner or later Holger’s record must fall. But obviously not in the next three or four years.

HELICOPTER: 508.6 KPH VEHICLE: BELL 533 PRODUCTION HELICOPTER POWER UNIT: 1 LYCOMING T53-L-9A GAS TURBINE ENGINE AND 2 PRATT & WHITNEY JT12 TURBOJETS PILOT: LUHARTWIG DATE: 15 APRIL 196 9 YEARS WHO WILL BEAT: SIKORSKY S-97 RAIDER B SPECIAL CONFIGURATION

The speed record for a classic helicopter, the Westland Lynx, has stood since 1986 and is 400.87 km/h.

But there is a way to cheat the nature of a rotorcraft: attach a push/pull propeller or jet engine to it, so that the main rotor produces only lift. Actually, Bell 533 was the first experimental helicopter with a pusher jet. And if the pusher propeller of the promising Sikorsky S-97 Raider is replaced with a turbine for experimental purposes, it may well be able to break Bell’s record.

AIRPLANE: 3529.6 km/h VEHICLE: LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD STRATEGIC RECOUNTER POWER: 2 PRATT & WHITNEY J58 AIR JET ENGINES PILOT: ELDON JORS DATE: JULY 28, 1976 WHO HIT: MOST LIKELY NO ONE - THIS IS JUST NO ONE NEED TO

The famous US Air Force strategic supersonic reconnaissance aircraft Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was not a special record-breaking aircraft. It’s just that in the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, the task was set to develop an aircraft that, due to its high speed and high altitude, could evade both observation and attack by the Soviet Air Force.

In particular, the MiG-25 was being developed in the USSR at about the same time. One way or another, the Blackbird turned out to be very unusual - its design seems futuristic to this day, although it made its first flight on December 22, 1964. And in 1976, test pilot Eldon Georges set an absolute speed record for aircraft, and at the same time an absolute altitude record for a planned flight (without the help of a record “candle”), 26,929 m. The SR-71 also holds several other speed records in different disciplines. Interestingly, in the 1980s, pilot Brian Schul claimed that during the 1986 Libyan operation he achieved even higher speeds in the SR-71, but instrument readings did not confirm this.

SPEED RECORDS SAILS AND RAILS

ABSOLUTE WATER SPEED RECORD: 511.121 KPH VEHICLE: SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA POWER UNIT: WESTINGHOUSE J34 TURBOJET ENGINE PILOT: KEN WARBY DATE: OCTOBER 8, 1978 WHO WILL BEAT: THEORETICALLY SOME MAD MAD. PRACTICALLY - NOBODY

In the 20th century, speed records on land and on water were equally prestigious and were often set by the same people - the great Malcolm and Donald Campbell (Henry Seagrave, Gar Wood. It seemed that in 1967 a point in the conveyor of records put the American Lee Taylor on the Hustler boat, but ten years later the Australian Ken Warby appeared. He designed and built a plastic-wooden ultra-light boat Spirit of Australia, on which he installed a Westinghouse J34 jet engine, bought at a flea market for $69. And he installed it on this miracle of technology. two speed records - first beating Taylor by 6 km/h, and then adding another 50 km/h to his result. Warby's record is unique - no one today dares to repeat his crazy “trick” with a boat that weighed less than the engine that drove it. it was in motion, and in the event of any accident it would turn into a handful of scraps.

SAILING SHIP: 121.21 KM/H VEHICLE: VESTAS SAILROCKET 2 POWER UNIT: SAILS PILOT: PAUL LARSEN DATE: NOVEMBER 2012 WHO WILL BEAT: PAUL LARSEN HIMSELF ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF CATAMARAN

Surprisingly, the absolute speed record for a sailing vehicle long belonged to... surfers - first windsurfers, then kite surfers (their sail is a kite). Only for a short time in 2009 - 2010, the achievement was held by the French trimaran Hydroptere.

But in November 2012, Australian Paul Larsen finally returned honor to “normal” sailboats. The high-tech (carbon-titanium) and insanely expensive catamaran Vestas Sailrocket 2, specially designed to set this record, quite “broke” surfers who could not accelerate to more than 103 km/h - and, most likely, will no longer be able to, since surfing has technical limit.

CONVENTIONAL RAIL VEHICLE: 603.0 KM/H VEHICLE: MAGLEV L0 SERIES POWER UNIT: LINEAR MOTOR PILOT: TEST TEAM INCLUDING JR TOKAI TESTING CENTER HEAD YASUKAZUENDO DATE: APRIL 1, 2015 WHO WILL BEAT: THE NEXT GENERATION OF JAPANESE MAGLEV OR ALREADY HYPERLOOP

If we take a “normal” train, and not a jet skid for military tests, then the record in this area was set quite recently. The result shown on the Yamanashi test section by the SCMaglev MLX01 maglev (581 km/h) lasted for 13 years, and now the next generation, the L0 Series maglev, turned out to be even faster, breaking the 600 km/h bar for the first time in the history of passenger trains. The record train consisted of a locomotive and six carriages. There were 49 JR Central employees on board, and the train maintained its maximum speed for 10.8 seconds. Such tests are carried out to find out the technical limit of the Maglev system, as well as to understand how passengers feel when using it. The actual cruising speed of the L0 Series is 10 km less. By the way, if we talk about ordinary rail trains, then the record (574.8 km/h) has been held by the French SNCF TGV POS for nine years.

RAILS: 1017 KM/H VEHICLE: ROCKET SLED SONIC WIND NO.1 POWER UNIT: ROCKET ENGINE PILOT: JOHN PAUL STEP DATE: DECEMBER 10, 1954 WHO WILL BEAT: HYPELOOP - NO MORE CONTENDERS SEEM TO BE

We're not talking about a locomotive, but about a jet sled. They hold the speed record for unmanned ground vehicles, 10,326 km/h. Jet-powered sleds placed on rails are capable of reaching insane speeds. In the 1950s, Americans conducted a series of tests related to the effects of superspeed on humans. In a chair bolted to the sled sat Colonel John Paul Stapp. During the tests, he became for some time the fastest man on earth (even airplanes didn’t fly that fast back then).

UNUSUAL SPEED RECORDS

ON THE MOON: 18.0 KM/H VEHICLE: APOLLO 17 LUNAR ROVING VEHICLE)