This article gives yearly aviation records under 5 headings: airspeed, range, ceiling, gross take-off weight, and engine power.

Year Airspeed Range Ceiling T/O Weight Engine power
1905 60.91 km/h (37.85 mph)
USA
Wilbur Wright
Flyer III
October 5, 1905
38.95 km (24.2 miles)
USA
Wilbur Wright
Flyer III
October 5, 1905
15 m (50 ft)
USA
Wilbur Wright
Flyer III
September 28, 1905
388 kg (855 lb)
USA
Wright Brothers
Flyer III
37 kW (50 hp)
France
Léon Levavasseur
Antoinette
1907 25 m (82 ft)
France
Louis Blériot
Blériot VI
September 17, 1907
522 kg (1,151 lb)
France
Voisin Brothers
Voisin-Farman No 1
40 kW (54 hp)
France
Renault
VB Renault
1908 64.79 km/h (40.26 mph)
France
Henry Farman
Voisin-Farman No 1
October 30, 1908
124.69 km (77.48 miles)
USA
Wilbur Wright
Wright A
December 31, 1908
110 m (361 ft)
USA
Wilbur Wright
Wright A
December 18, 1908
544 kg (1,200 lb)
USA
Wilbur Wright
Wright A
59 kW (79 hp)
France
Gobron-Brille
Gobron
1909 76.96 km/h (47.82 mph)
France
Louis Blériot
Blériot XII
August 28, 1909
234.21 km (145.53 miles)
France
Henry Farman
HF.1 No III
December 1, 1909
453 m (1,486 ft)
France
Hubert Latham
Antoinette VII
December 1, 1909
620 kg (1,367 lb)
France
Louis Blériot
Blériot XII
66 kW (89 hp)
France
Gobron-Brille
Gobron
1910 110 km/h (68.2 mph)
France
Alfred Leblanc
Blériot XI
October 29, 1910
584.7 km (363.34 miles)
France
Maurice Tabuteau
Maurice-Farman
December 30, 1910
3,100 m (10,170 ft)
France
Georges Legagneux
Hubert Latham
Antoinette VII
December 1, 1909
1,322 kg (2,950 lb)
Great Britain
Samuel Cody
Cody Michelin Cup
132 kW (177 hp)
France
Clerget
Gobron
1911 141.2 km/h (87.73 mph)
France
Édouard Nieuport
Nieuport Nie-2 N
June 21, 1911
740 km (460 miles)
France
Armand Gobé
Nieuport
December 24, 1911
3,910 m (12,828 ft)
France
Roland Garros
Blériot XI
September 4, 1911
1,350 kg (2,976 lb)
France
Léon Levavasseur
Antoinette Monobloc
132 kW (177 hp)
France
Clerget
Double Clerget 4W
1912 174.1 km/h (108.18 mph)
France
Jules Védrines
Deperdussin Monocoque
September 9, 1912
1,010.89 km (628.14 miles)
France
Géo Fourny
Maurice Farman
September 11, 1912
5,610 m (18,405 ft)
France
Roland Garros
Morane-Saulnier
December 11, 1912
147 kW (197 hp)
France
Clerget
Clerget
1913 203.8 km/h (126.66 mph)
France
Maurice Prévost
Deperdussin Monocoque
September 29, 1913
1,021.19 km (634.54 miles)
France
A Seguin
Henry Farman
October 13, 1913
6,120 m (20,079 ft)
France
Georges Legagneux
Nieuport II N
December 28, 1913
4,080 kg (8,995 lb)
Russia
Igor Sikorsky
Russian Knight
162 kW (217 hp)
France
Salmson Canton-Unné
(CU) 2M7
1914 216.5 km/h (134.54 mph)
Great Britain
Norman Spratt
RAF SE.4
June 1914
1,900 km (1,180.61 miles)
Germany
Werner Landmann
Albatros
June 28, 1914
8,150 m (26,739 ft)
Germany
Heinrich Oelerich
DFW
July 14, 1914
4,800 kg (10,582 lb)
Russia
Igor Sikorsky
Ilya Muromets A
168 kW (225 hp)
Great Britain
Sunbeam
1915 6,350 kg (14,000 lb)
Great Britain
Handley Page Ltd
Handley Page 0/100
169 kW (227 hp)
France
Louis Renault
Renault 12A
1916 12,129 kg (26,739 lb)
Germany
Staaken
R.VI
296 kW (296 hp)
France
Louis Renault
Renault 12F
1917 12,955 kg (28,561 lb)
Germany
Staaken
R.VII
298 kW (400 hp)
USA
Packard & Hall Scott
Liberty
1918 262.4 km/h (163.06 mph)
USA
Roland Rohlfs
Curtiss Wasp
August 19, 1918
8,808 m (28,897 ft)
USA
Rudolph Schroeder
Bristol F.2B
November 18, 1918
15,900 kg (35,053 lb)
Germany
Staaken
R.XIVa
522 kW (700 hp)
Italy
Fiat
Fiat A.14
1919 307.5 km/h (191.1 mph)
France
Joseph Sadi-Lecointe
Nieuport-Delage 29v
December 16, 1919
3,032 km (1,884 miles)
Great Britain
Alcock and Brown
Vickers Vimy
June 15, 1919
10,549 m (34,610 ft)
USA
Roland Rohlfs
Curtiss Wasp
September 18, 1919
20,263 kg (44,672 lb)
Great Britain
WG Tarrant Ltd
Tarrant Tabor
1920 313 km/h (194.49 mph)
France
Joseph Sadi-Lecointe
Nieuport-Delage 29v
December 12, 1920
1921 330 km/h (205.22 mph)
France
Joseph Sadi-Lecointe
Nieuport-Delage
September 26, 1921
26,000 kg (57,319 lb)
Italy
SAI Caproni
Caproni Ca 60
625 kW (838 hp)
France
Marcel Riffard
Breguet-Bugatti 32A
1922 361 km/h (224.28 mph)
USA
William Mitchell
Curtiss R-6
October 18, 1922
4,052 km (2517.8 miles)
USA
Oakley G. Kelly and John A. Macready
Fokker T-2
October 6, 1922
1923 430 km/h (267.16 mph)
USA
Alford J Williams
Curtiss R2C-1
November 4, 1923
5,300 km (3,293 miles)
USA
Smith and Richter
De Havilland DH.4B
August 28, 1923
11,145 m (36,565 ft)
France
Joseph Sadi-Lecointe
Nieuport-Delage
October 30, 1923
1924 448 km/h (278.47 mph)
France
Florentine Bonnet
Bernard Ferbois V2
December 11, 1924
746 kW (1,000 hp)
Great Britain
Napier
Cub
1925
1926 5,396 km (3,352.92 miles)
France
Costes and Rignot
Breguet 19 GR
October 19, 1926
1927 479 km/h (297.83 mph)
Italy
Mario de Bernardi
Macchi M.52
November 4, 1927
6,294 km (3,911 miles)
USA
Chamberlin and Levine
Bellanca
June 6, 1927
11,710 m (38,418 ft)
USA
CC Champion
Wright Apache
July 25, 1927
1928 513 km/h (318.57 mph)
Italy
Mario de Bernardi
Macchi M.52bis
March 30, 1928
7,665.3 km (4,763.81 miles)
Italy
Arturo Ferrarin and Carlo del Prete
SIAI-Marchetti S.64
July 5, 1928
1929 583 km/h (362 mph)
Italy
Giuseppe Motta
Macchi M.67
August 22, 1929
8,029.4 km (4,989.26 miles)
France
D. Costes and P.Codos
Breguet 19
December 17, 1929
12,739 m (41,795 ft)
Germany
Willi Neuenhofen
Junkers W 34
May 26, 1929
56,000 kg (123,457 lb)
Germany
Dornier
Dornier Do X
1,119 kW (1,500 hp)
Great Britain
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce R
1930 8,188.8 km (5,088.28 miles)
Italy
Maddalena and Cecconi
SIAI-Marchetti S.M.64bis
June 2, 1930
13,157 m (43,166 ft)
USA
Apollo Soucek
Wright Apache
June 4, 1930
1931 655 km/h (406.94 mph)
Great Britain
GH Stainforth
Supermarine S.6B
September 29, 1931
10,371 km (6,444.27 miles)
France
Le Brix and Doret
Dewoitine D-33
June 10, 1931
2,280 kW (3,058 hp)
Italy
Fiat
Fiat AS.6
1932 10,601.5 km (6,587.45 miles)
France
Bossoutrot and Rossi
Blériot 110
March 26, 1932
13,404 m (43,976 ft)
Great Britain
Cyril F Uwins
Vickers Vespa
September 16, 1932
1933 682 km/h (423.82 mph)
Italy
Francesco Agello
Macchi-Castoldi MC-72
April 18, 1933
13,660 m (44,816 ft)
France
Gustave Lemoine
Potez 50
September 28, 1933
1934 709 km/h (440.68 mph)
Italy
Francesco Agello
Macchi-Castoldi MC-72
October 23, 1934
14,432 m (47,352 ft)
Italy
Renato Donati
Caproni Ca 113 AQ
April 11, 1934
1935 14,575 m (47,818 ft)
USSR
Vladimir Kokkinaki
Polikarpov TsKB-3 (I-15)
November 21, 1935
1936 15,223 m (49,944 ft)
Great Britain
S.R. Swain
Bristol 138
September 28, 1936
1937 16,440 m (53,937 ft)
Great Britain
MJ Adam
Bristol 138
1938 11,650 km (7,239 miles)
Japan
Takahashi and Sekine
Gasuden Koken
May 16, 1938
17,083 m (56,046 ft)
Italy
Mario Pezzi
Caproni 161bis
October 22, 1938
1939 755 km/h (469.22 mph)
Germany
Fritz Wendel
Messerschmitt Me 209 V1
April 26, 1939
12,936 km (8,038 miles)
Italy
Tondi, Degasso, Vignoli
Savoia-Marchetti S.M.75
August 1, 1939
544 kgf thrust (1,200 lbf thrust)
Germany
Pabst von Ohain
Heinkel HeS 3B
1940
1941 1,004 km/h km/h (623.85 mph)
Germany
Heini Dittmar
Messerschmitt Me 163A
October 2, 1941
748 kgf thrust (1,650 lbf thrust)
Germany
Walter HWK
R11
1942 63,500 kg (140,000 lb)
USA
Boeing
Boeing XB-29 Superfortress
910 kgf thrust (2,006 lbf thrust)
Germany
Junkers Motoren
Jumo 004 B
1943 75,500 kg (166,447 lb)
Germany
Junkers
Junkers Ju 390
1,700 kgf thrust (3,748 lbf thrust)
Germany
Walter HWK
109-509 A-2
1944 94,339 kg (207,981 lb)
Germany
Blohm & Voss
Blohm & Voss V238 V1
2,000 kgf thrust (4,410 lbf thrust)
Germany
Walter HWK
109-509 C
1945
1946 18,081 km (11,235 miles)
USA
Thomas D Davies
Lockheed P2V-1 Neptune
October 1, 1946
140,614 kg (310,000 lb)
USA
Convair
Convair XB-36
2,722 kgf thrust (6,000 lbf thrust)
USA
Reaction Motors Inc
XLR 11-RM-5
1947 1,434 km/h (891.07 mph)
USA
Charles "Chuck" Yeager
Bell X-1
November 6, 1947
181,437 kg (400,000 lb)
USA
Hughes Aircraft Co
H-4 Hercules
1948 1,540 km/h (957 mph)
USA
Charles Yeager
Bell X-1
March 26, 1948
19,507 m (64,000 ft)
USA
Charles Yeager
Bell X-1
May 26, 1948
2,740 kgf thrust (6,041 lbf thrust)
USSR
Klimov
Klimov VK-1
1949 37,165 km (23,093 miles)
USA
James Gallagher
Boeing B-50A
March 2, 1949
21,916 m (71,902 ft)
USA
Frank Everest
Bell X-1
August 8, 1949
2,948 kgf thrust (6,500 lbf thrust)
Great Britain
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Avon 100
1950 3,969 kgf thrust (8,750 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5
1951 1,997 km/h (1,240.89 mph)
USA
William Bridgeman
Douglas D-558-2
August 7, 1951
24,230 m (79,494 ft)
USA
William Bridgeman
Douglas D-558-2
August 15, 1951
4,400 kgf thrust (9,700 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney J57-P-3
1952 190,509 kg (420,000 lb)
USA
Boeing
B-52A Stratofortress
1953 2,655 km/h (1,650 mph)
USA
Charles Yeager
Bell X-1A
December 12, 1953
25,376 m (83,253 ft)
USA
Marion Carl
Douglas D-558-2
August 21, 1953
8,700 kgf thrust (19,181 lbf thrust)
USSR
Mikulin
Mikulin AM-3D
1954 27,566 m (90,440 ft)
USA
Arthur Murray
Bell X-1A
August 26, 1954
9,500 kgf thrust (20,945 lbf thrust)
USSR
Mikulin
Mikulin AM-3M
1955 10,000 kgf thrust (22,047 lbf thrust)
USSR
Lyulka
Lyulka AL-7F TRD-31
1956 3,370 km/h (2,094 mph)
USA
Milburn Apt
Bell X-2
September 27, 1956
38,376 m (125,907 ft)
USA
Iven Kincheloe
Bell X-2
September 7, 1956
204,117 kg (450,000 lb)
USA
Boeing
B-52C Stratofortress
1957 39,147 km (24,325 miles)
USA
Archie Old Jr
B-52B Stratofortress
January 18, 1957
12,251 kgf thrust (27,008 lbf thrust)
USSR
Lyulka
Lyulka AL-21F
1958 221,353 kg (488,000 lb)
USA
Boeing
B-52G Stratofortress
1959
1960 3,534 km/h (2,196 mph)
USA
Joseph Albert Walker
North American X-15
August 4, 1960
41,605 m (136,500 ft)
USA
Robert Michael White
North American X-15
August 12, 1960
1961 6,587 km/h (4,093 mph)
USA
Robert White
North American X-15
November 9, 1961
1962 6,605 km/h (4,104 mph)
USA
Joseph Walker
North American X-15
June 27, 1962
95,936 m (314,750 ft)
USA
Robert White
North American X-15
July 17, 1962
1963 107,960 m (354,200 ft)
USA
Joseph Albert Walker
North American X-15
August 22, 1963
1964 249,476 kg (550,000 lb)
USA
North American
XB-70A Valkyrie
14,742 kgf thrust (32,500 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney JT11D-20B
1965 250,000 kg (551,147 lb)
USSR
Antonov
Antonov An-22 Anteus
1966
1967 7,297 km/h (4,534 mph)
USA
Pete Knight
North American X-15
October 3, 1967
1968 348,359 kg (768,000 lb)
USA
Lockheed
C-5A Galaxy
20,000 kgf thrust (44,095 lbf thrust)
USSR
Kuznetsov Design Bureau
Kuznetsov NK-144
1969 21,296 kgf thrust (46,950 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7AW
1970 351,534 kg (775,000 lb)
USA
Boeing
Boeing 747-200B
1971 377,842 kg (833,000 lb)
USA
Boeing
Boeing 747-200F
22,861 kgf thrust (50,400 lbf thrust)
USA
General Electric
General Electric CF6-50C
1972
1973 23,496 kgf thrust (51,800 lbf thrust)
USA
General Electric
General Electric CF6-50E
1974
1975
1976 24,145 kgf thrust (53,230 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney JT9D-59B
1977
1978 24,190 kgf thrust (53,330 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q1
1979
1980 24,875 kgf thrust (54,840 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q2
1981
1982 25,401 kgf thrust (56,000 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7H1
1983
1984
1985 404,994 kg (892,859 lb)
USSR
Antonov
Antonov An-124 Condor
26,762 kgf thrust (59,000 lbf thrust)
USA
General Electric
General Electric CF6-80C2A1
1986 40,213 km (24,987 miles)
USA
Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager
Voyager
December 23, 1986[1]
1987 27,896 kgf thrust (61,500 lbf thrust)
USA
General Electric
General Electric CF6-80C2A5
1988
1989 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb)
USSR
Antonov
Antonov An-225 Mriya
1990 27,928 kgf thrust (61,570 lbf thrust)
USA
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney 4060A
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004 112,000 m (367,454 ft)
USA
Brian Binnie
Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne
October 4, 2004[2]
2005 41,467 km (25,766 miles)
USA
Steve Fossett
Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer
March 3, 2005[3]
2006
2007

References edit

Citations edit

Bibliography edit

  • Gunston, Bill (ed.): Chronicle of Aviation, Chronicle Communications Ltd., 1992, ISBN 1-872031-30-7, pp. 48, 52, 58, 66, 78, 86, 96, 104, 112, 124, 134, 144, 154, 166, 176, 184, 192, 200, 210, 220, 228, 236, 250, 260, 270, 282, 292, 302, 312, 322, 332, 344, 354, 364, 376, 390, 400, 412, 424, 436, 450, 462, 472, 480, 488, 496, 506, 516, 524, 534, 542, 552, 562, 572, 582, 590, 600, 610, 620, 630, 640, 648, 658, 668, 680, 688, 698, 706, 716, 724, 734, 742, 750, 758, 766, 774, 782, 790, 798, 806, 812, 820, 826, 834, 842, 852.