Maximum altitude of airplanes
Name: janette l gubala
Date: Around 1995
How high can an airplane go?
Well, an "airplane" can go fly as high as it is designed for. More specifi-
cally, fighter planes have been known to go to around 90,000+ feet.
Experimental planes (X15) can go much higher if need be. It all depends on
the type of engine being used. Jet engines cannot be used in highly
rarified (thin) air, because they are air-breathing in nature. Rocket
engines can be use at any altitude, including space.
I thought the official altitude record for a jet powered aircraft was around
80,000 feet, set by the SR-71 Blackbird, although the actual altitude
achievable by the Blackbird is still classified. Experimental aircraft like
the X-15 that can go higher are rocket powered.
Click here to return to the Engineering Archives
Update: June 2012