Article: Speed demon; Hypersonic aviation.

Per ardua ad astra

An aeroplane intended to be the fastest ever built is about to make its first flight

SINCE the first aeroplane wobbled off the ground a hundred years ago, engineers have dreamed of making their magnificent machines fly faster and faster. But for a long time the world speed record has not changed. The SR-71, an American spy plane, has been the fastest publicly acknowledged aircraft for almost 40 years. It has a top speed of just over Mach 3--in other words, three times the velocity of sound, or about 3,000 kilometres per hour. But if all goes well, this will soon change. On March 27th, NASA, America's aerospace agency, will conduct a ...

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