Highest Sustained Altitude

[nomorecatering]

A number of threads on here have mentioned zoom climb records, such as the 124,000ft by a Mig 25.

Does anyone one know the highest level flight altitude by an fighter type.

[Pontius Navigator]

I believe the Hunter was stable at 50,000ft.

[ORAC]

YF-12A (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YF-12) - service ceiling of 90,000ft.

[Pontius Navigator]

ORAC, a point and a question.

First that was an experimental aircraft and therefore not strictly speaking a fighter.

Secondly, I was under the impression that service ceiling was the altitude at which the rate of climb dropped below 500 feet per minute and not necessarily the highest sustained altitude.

[L J R]

F-111 used to get to 50,000', but it was still in a climb and not 'sustained' level, I guess that doesn't count..:=..was also accelerating at M2.5 up there, had to stop the climb (no pressure suit:sad:), and had to stop the acceleration, (Skin temperature limit:{)......
I am definitely aware that other jets could out do this....:eek:

[Pontius Navigator]

LJR, sustained was the question.

For instance, in theory, the Vulcan could cruise at or above 56,000 feet albeit with a bank angle limit of 15 deg and a Mig 21 could intercept a Vulcan at that altitude but could not sustain level flight.

[blimey]

Wasn"t the standard GR3s airtest to 54000' level, and pushing to zero g at 50000' to see if it would surge. It"s a long time ago and I don't have my notes handy, so it might be just a recurring nightmare - it's a dark and lonely place up there. :eek:

[pedroalpha]

Reached 51,500 in a Gnat during my dual supersonic run in 1966

[Pontius Navigator]

Surely someone must know of a fighter that could sustain stable high altitude flight greater than 50,000 feet. Obviously that is near the limit for a subsonic fighter. Much above that we have to be supesonic.

[JAR 1.0175]

SLF drinking coffee, no gin available as it was a CAA test flight.

[SASless]

The F-4 back in 1959 got to just shy of a 100,000 feet....which is pretty interesting. But...the F-15 is no plow horse either.




The single-seat F15A on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, nicknamed "Streak Eagle," broke eight time-to-climb world records between Jan. 16 and Feb. 1, 1975. In setting the last of the eight records, it reached an altitude of 98,425 feet just 3 minutes, 27.8 seconds from brake release at takeoff and "coasted" to nearly 103,000 feet before descending. It was flown in its natural metal finish to reduce weight for the record-setting flights. To protect it from corrosion, McDonnell Douglas Corp. has since painted it in the gray color scheme of most operational F-15s.

[Pontius Navigator]

Come on guys, RTFQ, highest SUSTAINED level flight by a FIGHTER, none of this I'll see your U2 and raise you by an SR71.

[SASless]

Service Ceiling 90,000 feet....pretty well takes the cake I believe.

Air Force testing


YF-12A
During flight tests the YF-12As set a speed record of 2,070.101 mph (3,331.505 km/h) and altitude record of 80,257.86 ft (24,462.6 m), both on 1 May 1965,[9] and demonstrated promising results with their unique weapon system. Six successful firings of the AIM-47 missiles were completed. The last one launched from the YF-12 at Mach 3.2 at an altitude of 74,000 ft (22,677 m) to a JQB-47E target drone 500 ft (152 m) off the ground.[13] One of the Air Force test pilots, Jim Irwin would go on to become a NASA astronaut and walk on the Moon.
The program was abandoned following the cancellation of the production F-12B, but the YF-12s continued flying for many years with the USAF and with NASA as research aircraft.


http://www.habu.org/usaf/usaf-yf12-1.jpg

[Pontius Navigator]

SASLess, nice pic, goes well with ORAC's post at serial 3 :)

[LowObservable]

Absent having my books in front of me, I would say that the highest sustained altitude (level flight, no airframe limits in the red) by an operational fighter would probably be the MiG-25 or MiG-31. I am pretty sure that the MiG-25 recce models would make runs at 70,000 feet or above, and the airframe was much the same as the interceptors.

[SASless]

Granted it is not a "Fighter" but would not the Space Shuttle easily claim the all time record as it takes off on its own power....and lands back at the point of takeoff on its own wings?

[Thrust Augmentation]

Su-27 62,500
F-15 65,000
F-22 65,000 (although not at the moment)
MiG-31 67,600

MiG-25 was 80,000+ & the U-2 although not a fighter (but based partly on one) dodged the undertaker at 70,000+.

[cornish-stormrider]

but the shuttle is a fighter - didn't you see moonraker?

[Geehovah]

We might need to caveat this by saying an operational fighter in operational fit. Even as an F4 guy the Lightning will take a lot to beat.

[nipva]

From my somewhat distant memory, the Lightning air test required a period of sustained level flight at FL560, albeit at M1.4.

[Pontius Navigator]

LO, indeed the Mig 25 would qualify and probably the Foxhound.

On one occasion it completed a successful intercept of an SR71. It missed on the SR71 ingress to the Baltic but had more warning on the egress. The Foxbat was reported to have crossed about 10-12 miles astern in what was assessed as inside the launch envelope. On recovery to East Germany it violated Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and West German airspace.

[xtp]

I got a Hunter FGA 9 up to an indicated 56,000 feet over Malaya once on a GH sortie. Only one to trail that day.

Tengah ATC wasn't too amused by 20 beeps in response to their request for one beep per 1,000 feet above 30k during the subsequent practice speechless flameout. But I did get in OK even though it took a long time.

[Ali Barber]

Unless my alcohol fuddled memory is playing tricks, I remember tanking a Lightning off a Victor at FL430 because I was fed up of bouncing around in cloud. Had to use reheat to stay in but never made it on top of the cloud.

Took another Lightning to VFR on top, but was definitely not in stable flight. Above FL500 was easily attainable (subject to fuel), but was also above the pressurization/oxygen regulator release to service.

[Willard Whyte]

F-106 and F-104C had quoted service ceilings of 58,000', F-15C 65,000'.

[Courtney Mil]

According to my copy of the F4 history, an F4 managed to sustain 66,443 feet in 1961.

Typhoon claims a ceiling of 65,000', but I'd bet it could get a lot higher if they tried.

F3 engines didn't like it up there!

[Bushfiva]

Did 500 km in a MiG-25 at 22,700 meters, limited by the helmet. Followed by a Buran descent profile since that was an interest of mine at the time.

[sarn1e]

Can't beat 22,700 metres, but:

15 Jul 86: Lightning F6 XS899 'AJ' - Binbrook TACEVAL. Clear and a million.

Fifth trip of the day, no trade. Post-AAR was recalled by Sqn - not allowed to tank on the 5th sortie - didn't know that GASO!

Accelerate abeam LUK to M1.95 (wouldn't go any faster - they were all a bit bent by then). Climb at 15 degrees to level at FL680, easing it back in the climb to 12 o'clock burner to keep them lit, and call VFR on top sustaining M1.6 with the fuel gauges hardly moving (which was very unusual). She would have stayed there all day.

Told Boulmer to tell the pair of F4s trailing at FL350 to scan up - very amusing!

And, yes, Courtney - lots more spies in (and out of) the cab these days, but Typhoon would easily beat that...