The aviation record that's lasted for over 50 years which not even Concorde was able to get near breaking

There is an aviation record that’s lasted for over 50 years.

And it’s one that not even Concorde could get close to breaking.

The aircraft in question still holds the record, which might never be broken.

And some consider it to be arguably the greatest aircraft ever made.

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Top-secret Lockheed holds aviation record

Okay, so what is the aviation record at hand – and which aircraft currently holds it?

Well, the aircraft at hand is none other than the Lockheed SR71 Blackbird.

It is widely considered to be one of the most incredible aircraft ever built.

The SR-71 Blackbird was the product of Lockheed’s Advanced Development Programs division.

You might know this ultra-secretive division as the ‘Skunk Works’ division.

We’ll get onto the SR-71 Blackbird itself later.

First, let’s talk about the aviation record it holds and why it was so impressive.

Since the advent of commercial air travel, the industry standard has often been considered the journey between New York and London.

So the SR-71 Blackbird decided to try out the journey for itself.

On September 1, 1974, Majors James Sullivan and Noel Widdifield set two impressive benchmarks during a flight between New York City and London.

Their transatlantic trip took just one hour and 55 minutes.

In case you were wondering, this aviation record smashed the Concorde effort by an hour.

Sullivan and Widdifield averaged over 1,400mph during this effort.

But the aircraft was far from done breaking records.

Two years later, in July 1976, the Lockheed airplane went even faster.

One of the units flew faster than 2,100mph and higher than 85,000ft (about 16 miles) above sea level.

Both of these feats remain records for a strategic reconnaissance plane.

SR-71 Blackbird – the defining creation of the Cold War

Speaking of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird – what’s the story behind it?

The early 1960s saw some of the highest tensions of the Cold War between the United States and Russia.

Lockheed needed to develop a faster, more sophisticated reconnaissance aircraft to replace the U-2.

The project was handed over to the Advanced Development Programs division of the company.

It’s perhaps best known as the ‘Skunk Works’ division of Lockheed.

The first test flight took place in December 1964, before going into active service a year later.

It ended up becoming one of the foremost symbols of the technological advancements made during the Cold War.

Because stealth technology wasn’t a thing yet, the United States needed an aircraft that could fly at the highest altitudes.

And the SR-71 Blackbird could do just that, operating well beyond the range of conventional weapons systems.

Only 32 were ever made, and 12 were destroyed due to accidents.

But not a single Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was ever lost in active combat.

And it still holds the record that not even Concorde could even get close to touching.